I'll Never Forget You
by BlueDragon123
Summary: Sequel to Escape From Terra Zartacla. Aerrow and Piper have always been a team. So what happens when fate takes her away? A*P Thank you to Gatomon Fan 7. This story couldn't have happened without you.
1. What's wrong with Aerrow?

_Sorry about the abrupt ending before. I shall try to make this first chapter make up for it. Listen very carefully, __**if you haven't read 'Escape from Terra Zartacla' then go to my account and read it, otherwise this one won't make any sense**__. If you have read it enjoy this next chapter and don't forget to review. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own Storm Hawks. If you thought I did your intellectual equal is Snipe. You two should get together some time and rub your combined brain cells together to try and invent fire. _

Piper's POV

I walked to the cock-pit so that we could celebrate. We had beaten Cyclonis's top three goons to a pulp, I had punched Cyclonis twice and best of all, Aerrow was back. Finn and Junko were walking behind me, laughing about Master Cyclonis's face when my knuckle had connected with her jaw and pulling faces to imitate what Ravess and Snipe had looked like before they had beaten them unconscious. But when we ran into the cock-pit, Aerrow wasn't there, just a very gloomy looking Stork.

"Where's Aerrow?" asked Finn.

"Went to his room. He said that he needed to rest." Stork said, very casually but he wasn't fooling anyone. He wouldn't make eye contact with me. He was as worried as I was.

"Maybe I should get some medi-stuff and go see if he's okay," I said, turning to leave when Stork put a hand on my shoulder.

"Piper," he said, slowly as if that would emphasize his point, turning me away from the door to look at him, eye-to-eye, and "I don't think it's that kind of injury." I turned on Stork, suddenly angry for no apparent reason. I pushed him away from me.

"Then what am I supposed to do. Sit here and wait for him to tell us that nothing is wrong," I screamed. They all flinched and took a step backwards but I didn't care. We had just got back Aerrow. Why was I shouting when this was supposed to be a celebration? Why was I angry? And that's when I realized that I wasn't mad at them. "I need to go talk to him. Stork, where are we heading?"

Stork ran back to the controls, obviously glad to be back amongst the things that he could understand. "We're about an hour away from Terra Sahar. We should be able to hide out there for a bit and re-cooperate."

"Great. I'll see you guys later." I made to walk out of the cock-pit when Finn got in my way. I opened my mouth to tell him to move as loudly as I could but he shook his head.

"Piper, you win. Out of all of us you should probably be the one to see Aerrow. But like, give the dude five minutes. He probably needs to be alone."

"How'd you know?" I retorted. Something screeched behind me. Radarr walked in to the cock-pit with his long ears lying on his back. "What's up, Radarr?" I said sadly. He held up his hand. Five words.

"Oh great," sighed Finn, "That's what today was missing. Charades." I glared at Finn for being insensitive then turned to Radarr. He held up one finger.

"First word." He messed up the fur on top of his head and crouched in a battle stance.

"Chicken." Finn guessed. Stork slapped his hand to his forehead, sighed and said,

"Aerrow." Radarr indicated he was right and then help up two fingers then three fingers.

"Second and third word," said Junko, who was ecstatic when he was told he had got it right. Radarr made a motion over his mouth like he was locking it shut. I knew this one but Finn beat me to it.

"Not talking," he said. Radarr nodded and Finn looked at me, smugly. "Bet you would never have got that." Radarr held up four fingers. "Fourth word," Finn said as if he had just solved the Helix Crystal Inadequacy Conjecture. Radarr held up two fingers. Finn lost his smug look. "Um Radarr we already did the second word." I rolled my eyes.

"Two." I said and Radarr nodded. I would have laughed and rubbed it in the Finn's smug face but Radarr was so upset I didn't want to be the one to add to it. Radarr was looking at the floor, obviously lost in his own misery. I nudged him. "Fifth word?" I asked and he looked up as if to say thanks. He lifted up a finger and pointed to himself.

"Chest," Junko exclaimed.

"Blue?" said Finn. Stork and I shot each other withering looks.

"Me," said Stork, "Aerrow's not talking to me."

"Aww, we feel for you, Stork," said Finn, "He's not talking to us either." I really wasn't sure if he was being serious or not. Could someone be that stupid? Snipe sure but even Finn wasn't that stupid. Was he?

"He's not talking to Radarr," I whispered, "Now, tell me that I shouldn't go talk to him." I made to leave the cock-pit to go talk to find Aerrow but Junko got in my way. That was the third time today someone had tried to stop me leaving and it wasn't getting any easier not to hurt someone.

"What makes you think you should be the one to talk to him?" he asked, offended. I tried to phrase my answer as tactfully as possible.

"What would you talk to him about?" I asked. They all thought about it except for Radarr who was inching towards the controls. It was a comfort thing. Whenever he was upset he wanted to drive. Don't ask me why.

"Food," said Junko and I put a hand on his shoulder, knowingly. "Fine, I can't think of anything." He sat down in a huff.

"Finn ROCK!!!" said Finn, preparing to do an air guitar solo but I caught one of his arms. Stork and I gave him a combined "NO".

"Last time, I checked Aerrow wasn't so fond of your music." Stork reminded him.

"So what would you talk to him about?" asked Finn while pouting. An amazing feat for anyone else but Finn has had a lot of practice.

"The levels of mind-worms and brain slugs on the Condor," he said and I tried hard to keep my poker face.

"Have the levels of mind-slugs and brain worms gone up?" Junko asked fearfully. Stork was about to correct him when I put a hand on his shoulder and shook my head trying to convey the message 'not worth it'. Stork nodded and carried on to answer Junko's question.

"No but I think that might be what's bothering him." Finn faked coughing saying 'doubt it' over and over.

"Junko, why don't you go help Finn with his cough?" I suggested and I'm proud to say I said it with a straight face as well. Finn glared at me but he got the message and suddenly his cough was all better.

"What are you going to talk to him about then, Piper?" Junko asked. I suddenly remembered that I was angry.

"I want to know why he's avoiding me," and with that I left, at last. I heard Finn say "Women," as if that summed it up in one word. I heard Junko walking to the kitchen for a snack that was probably the size of Radarr. Then I heard Stork scream like a little girl as he realized that Radarr was driving the Condor and he hadn't been sterilized. I may have imagined it but I think I heard the pop of a fresh can of disinfectant being opened. I hope, for Radarr's sake that I had imagined it.

Aerrow's POV

I can hear footsteps. I sighed. I knew that this was coming. The guys would be curious. I could hear the questions already. What happened under the stage? How did you remove the crystal? Why are you avoiding Piper? I wasn't comfortable answering any of their questions but as those footsteps get closer, I realize I will gladly take their questions, their teasing even Stork's whole supply of disinfectants spayed all over me and my stuff. Just don't let it be her. Please, I'm not ready. I looked for Radarr. Maybe he could help. Check if it is her. Stall. Anything. Just before Piper barged in, I realized that he was gone and how much trouble I was in.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Piper was calm when she asked but I could feel the electricity in the air. The kind that came before a storm.

"Why didn't you knock?" I asked, forcing myself to look her in the eyes. Hard amber stared back at me.

"Answer the question, Aerrow."

"Answer mine." She rapped her knuckles on the door.

"Happy?"

"Yeah, ecstatic," I should have known that the sarcasm was a bad idea but it kind of slipped out. She looked at me and for the first time, I felt the urge to look away. I could see pain and turmoil in her eyes and knowing that I was causing it made it no easier.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Her eyes were slits in her face like a cat readying to pounce. I tried to avoid anymore similes and gather my thoughts into sentences I could say. It was so hard not to reach out and touch her even briefly, let her know that I cared about her, that it was killing me that I had made her this upset.

"I'm not avoiding you," Her eyes told me she didn't believe me and I knew I wouldn't have either; "I wanted to avoid the guys and just be alone for a bit." Her eyes fell and she seemed to lapse into thought for a moment. She sat down on my bed and I swung my legs around from where I had been lying so that she didn't sit on me. I pulled myself over to her and sat down next to her on the edge of the bed. When she looked up again she seemed happier but the previous steel was still visible.

"Everyone keeps on telling me that."

"What?"

"That you wanted to be alone." I was wondering how much of that was true. Her being in the room made me feel a lot better. I wanted to talk to her about the kiss but as I gathered my thoughts she said "What was it like on Zartacla?"

"Why are you asking?" I was confused. I figured that Piper would be the last one to ask me this.

"Because I'm wondering if that's what's bothering and if you need to talk to me about it." I wondered too. Telling her would make her hurt all the more but I wondered how much she had seen at the initiation. Wait. The initiation. Wasn't she supposed to be on Cyclonia?

"How did you escape from Cyclonia so quickly?" She looked at me, bewildered.

"I was never on Cyclonia. What are you talking about?" I put my head in my hands. They had used me.

"Moss told me that he was coming for you after he had captured me." Her eyes widened but as sick as it was, she deserved to know. "Cyclonis said that she would make you a Cyclonian if I didn't give in. Moss told me before" I paused. She wasn't ready to hear that. But that wasn't true. I just wasn't ready to tell her. "Moss told me that if I escaped you'd be thrown off the Terra." I couldn't look at her.

"I can't believe that you went through that so I would be safe," I looked at her. She was worried and maybe a little bit proud. She put her hands on my shoulders for a second before they slipped to her sides again and all of a sudden, my heart felt like it was running a marathon. Her touch was enough to make me feel warm again but the part of me that was aware of what I had just done to her remained frigid and cold. "What did they do to you?" I looked up at her.

"What do you mean?" When she replied she was very quiet. It was a miracle that I heard her.

"I saw the wounds, Aerrow. The burns, the whip marks, the bruises. I know they took you for a torture session." She looked at me and there was that iron in her eyes but she was also blinking too much for a normal person. She was trying not to cry. I put my arms around her and felt her pulse beat with mine.

"It didn't hurt that much. I found my core." I felt her stiffen.

"How'd you manage to do that?" I smiled. That was the one good memory that I had of that place.

"I remembered you guys." She looked up at me.

"You're amazing you know that." I tried to tell her that she was amazing too but we heard footsteps coming our way. She pulled away and I resisted the urge to pull her back. There was time later for this. Finn walked in, smiling.

"Dude, you are never going to believe this."

_*Holds back Piper from Finn* R&R. I don't know how long it'll be before the next chapter though, just a warning. Oh before I forget. An author sent me a PM telling me about their story. I think it is good. Have a look. It's a Twilight Story called __**The Empty Cullen**__. If you're an Edward lover but a Bella hater have a look._


	2. The Ducks are coming

_Hello faithful reviewers. Sorry about the hold up but I had exams. This is the first break I've had in ages. Anyway to my reviewers:_

_Diehardstormhawksfan: Thanks. Cliff hangers are my speciality._

_Alicat259: I sympathise. I have exams over here as well. The horror. I_

_Delphigirl689: I'm not very good at tragedy. I'm one of those people who love happy endings despite all odds. As for the Finn strangling I'll see what I can do. _

_MissJuly005: Sorry for the delay._

_LostLyra: I am not going to kill Finn. He's an important part of this and I don't want to upset any Finn fans (if there are any). Everyone seems to be revising this week. It's a pain in the butt. Hope this chapter makes up for all the time wasted revising._

_Jenergy: Thanks, I was worried it was too fluffy. Hope you like the chapter._

_Doilan: Finn pass me that bat. Just kidding. Sorry about the spelling mistakes. I guess I'm not being careful enough. Hope you're feeling better_

_GotomonFan7: Glad you are enjoying the story. BTW are you new?_

_Midnight Rose Dew: Congrats on your new account. Cool name. Love your new story, v. cute. Sorry that this took so long. I tried to update ASAP._

Aerrow's POV

I sighed. Finn had the worst timing ever. The delicate moment had been shattered and all that was left for Piper to leave and then who knows how long it will be until we get a chance to talk again? Finn was looking from me to Piper and back again. I wondered what he was thinking about. And then it became obvious.

"Am I interrupting anything?" asked Finn with that annoying voice he gets whenever he finds Piper and I alone, which isn't often if we can help it.

"No" said Piper and I in sync. She got up like someone had given her an electric shock and left. I was sort of glad because I could feel myself blushing. I looked at Finn. He was about to burst out laughing. I sent a warning shot over his head with one of my energy blades.

"What did you want, Finn?" I asked. Finn wasn't going to laugh anymore but now he was insulted and when Finn is insulted he starts to whine a lot.

"Hey, hey don't shoot the messenger," he said, pouting. Internally, I sighed.

"Sorry Finn. What does my wingman want?"

"I'm your sharpshooter," he said still pouting. I was beginning to lose my temper.

"Whatever Finn. I thought you had a piece of news that I would never believe." The effects of my statement where immediate. Finn brightened up and some of that mischief that we all love but mostly hate was back.

"The Rebel Ducks are coming." I clapped Finn on the shoulder and told him that it was great news but inside I was a little bit depressed. Whenever we had guests over, none of us were alone for more than a couple of minutes except for Stork (who has built in hiding spots that he refuses to tell us about) and Radarr (he can climb around in the pipes but usually he stays with me).

"Hey, um…Aerrow?" Finn interrupted my thoughts.

"Yeah Finn," I was kind of worried. The last time the Rebel Ducks had been over, Finn had asked them if he could use their armour to help cook. It had only been a joke but we found him locked unconscious in his room after they had left. The lump looked suspicious but no-one inquired any further. We were kind of grateful. While he was snoozing, it was the quietest it had been on the Condor for a year.

"Can we put up the barbeque?" I didn't see any problems with that.

"Only if you leave Stork alone and make sure Junko doesn't make his potato salad. The last one is still missing."

"'Kay but if Stork won't help, Junko is going to have to use the grill and you and Piper will have to set everything out. Perfect opportunity, dude," As he said that last bit he looked at me knowingly. It took all of my will power not to throw him off the Condor.

"Yeah, sure Finn," I said, trying not to let slip how exasperated I was. We walked into the cock-pit.

"Good news, people," said Finn, like he was an audience instead of just Stork, Junko and Piper. "Three words! Bar-be-que!" Piper raised her eyes at me from the map and I shrugged in the 'it's-out-of-my-hand-' kind of way. Radarr jumped on my shoulder and he looked like he was glad to see me.

"Sorry, I ignored you buddy," I said and I scratched the place behind his ears he likes. Radarr looked at me as if to say 'its okay' or 'I'll get you later' I couldn't tell.

"I'm not in charge of cooking again, am I?" moaned Stork. I turned to him feeling in charge again.

"No but can you find us somewhere on Sahar to land?" I asked.

"Sure," he shrugged and went back to the control panel, obviously relieved. After the last time he had been forced to cook it had taken us a week to get rid of the scorch marks.

"Junko, can you handle the grill?" I asked.

"Sure, but I won't have time to make my famous potato salad, if I have to cook." All around me, I heard groans of faked disappointment.

"It's a big loss but you're the only one who can use the grill without burning anything," I flinched remembering my own disastrous attempt at using the grill. The least that was said about that the better.

"Okay. What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna lay out the plates and everything so that people can grab food when they want it. Piper can you help?" She looked up from her maps.

"Sure, Aerrow," she said cheerily but her eyes told me that she wanted to talk. Now if not sooner.

"Stork, how long before we land?" I asked.

"About two hours, give or take," I knew better than to ask what the 'give or take' was so I nodded and left.

"I'm going on patrol. I'll see you at Terra Sahar." I saw Piper make as hasty glance outside. It was about halfway through the afternoon with minimum cloud cover so she could probably see me from here.

"See you," she said and I left, wondering just how badly this meeting with the Rebel Ducks could go.

_Two Hours Later_

Stork landed on Terra Sahar away from the nearest village. It was a hotspot for Cyclonian trading and the last thing we needed was for another one of us to be taken by the Cyclonians. I was glad to be up here in the sky with Radarr. Things were so much simpler in the sky and problems unravelled. Except for how to talk to Piper. Every time I considered that one, I came very close to hitting a rock. Radarr was now clinging to his seat so hard that I could see the white on his knuckles through all his blue fur.

"Sorry, Radarr," I said and he whimpered weakly. The message was clear, 'Get me down, please.' I landed as gently as possible taking a moment to appreciate the dusty, yellow rocks and sand. The heat was great. It was just before evening and the sun was going down. In the morning, the heat would slowly climb until only Stork could stay outside. I don't know why but even though the guy spends most of the time inside when it gets hot, he can't resist coming out with a book full of dark poetry. As soon as I touched down, Finn ran in with his guitar. Piper followed just before the door closed.

"Finn, we said NO," she yelled before she noticed me. Her eyes looked like orange bolts of lightning. "Aerrow, tell him! He can't play that thing while the Rebel Ducks are here."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Tell her that the Rebel Ducks will love my special brand of ROCK!" He raised his hand to play a chord but before his hand reached the guitar, Piper grabbed his guitar and pulled it away from him.

"No Finn. Aerrow, tell him."

"No Aerrow, tell her to get her hands of my baby," How to put this nicely? I thought for a moment. There wasn't one. Then I had an idea.

"Piper, maybe we should ask the Rebel Ducks if they want to listen to Finn's music or not," she glared at me but I winked at her. She was good friends with Dove, the leader of the Rebel Ducks. Surely she could get Dove to make Finn back off. Comprehension floated over Piper and she smiled at me.

"Sure, Finn. We'll let the Rebel Ducks decide," Finn smiled in triumph. I resisted the urge to laugh. Piper turned to me. "Could you come up to the cock-pit? I think I've found a way into Cyclonia that Cyclonis doesn't know about."

I think I heard Finn mutter 'another one', and I elbowed him. "Sure Piper. See you there. I just need to make sure my skimmers okay."

Piper' POV

Ha ha. If Finn thinks he's won, he's got another thought coming. I can radio ahead while I'm waiting for Aerrow. I'm sure that Dove can come up down with a migraine before she and her team get here. That dampened my mood a bit. The Rebel Ducks wouldn't be here till tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. Something about a Scrout outbreak on one of the farming Terras. I had been looking forward to showing her the new Blocker Crystal shield that Stork and I came up with.

He had helped me on the condition that I start wearing his meteorite deflecting gizmo on my morning jogs. The thing had weighed more than I did but when the Blocker Crystal shield was up and running it was worth it. Unfortunately, none of the boys has any idea about the matrix that I had to use to get it to work. Finn said that he would rather watch Junko's experimental film than listen to me explain about it and even Aerrow admitted that he couldn't keep up even through the simplest bits.

I picked up the radio and tuned it in to Dove's skimmer. I looked around. Stork was driving but he wouldn't mind me telling Dove not to let Finn play his music. Junko was nowhere to be seen and Aerrow was probably checking on his skimmer. He kept on almost bumping into huge pillars of rock. I thought Radarr was going to have a heart attack.

"Dove, can you hear me?" I waited for her to reply.

"No Adrian, behind me," a familiar voice commanded down the radio, "Hello, who is dis?"

"Hey Dove, its Piper," I said and a laugh came down the line.

"Hello Piper. Why are you calling? We're heading to Sahar as fast as possible. 'Scuse me for one second. Adrian, I said watch the back not talk to Peter! Sorry Piper. My team refuses to listen."

"I know the feeling."

"So why did you call?"

"Finn wants to welcome you in the only way he knows how," I heard a sigh from down the line.

"Hiz stupid guitar."

"Pretty much but he won't get the chance to play if you have a headache."

"Of course, Adrian just told me he has a splitting headache," I heard a clang and a groan of pain. I may have imagined it but I think I heard her say "That will teach you to talk to Peter on a mission."

"See you there."

"Cannot wait." The radio crackled and then Dove was gone. She couldn't get here soon enough. I heard the door open behind me. I looked. Aerrow walked in without Radarr.

"Where's Radarr?" Aerrow looked embarrassed.

"He's mad at me so he went to hide in the pipes for a bit. They're becoming his second home." I shook my head but I couldn't hide a smile.

"If you tried to stop killing him maybe he would like you better." He shrugged. "Why did you keep on running into rock?" He shrugged.

"I guess I wasn't paying attention," I didn't buy that for one second. Aerrow never ever gets distracted on his skimmer especially when Radarr is with him. Maybe he was just tired.

"Go take a nap," I suggested "You seem bushed."

"Okay, I'll see you later then," I nodded and he left but I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something he wasn't telling me. I remembered that while he was gone, Stork had told me that Aerrow …loved me? Was that true? Or was he having a laugh. I guess I'll ask Aerrow later on tonight.

_Sorry about this chapter but unfortunately I needed to do this boring one before we __could get to the action packed bits. I Promise it gets better as you go along._


	3. We got there in the end

_Hello loyal reviewers. It has been too long and my last chapter was so boring that I tried to make this chapter count. But first:_

_Midnight-Rose-Dew: I will be updating a lot faster than this soon. I haven't heard from LostLyra and Alicat259 and I'm worried it's these exams. I hope theirs is over soon. Anyway I updated ASAP_

_PaigeyLou: Tell me about it. I tried to make this one more interesting._

_Doilan: This chapter isn't exactly action packed but I think it might be interesting. Read on to see what I mean. Hope your swine flu feels better and that it isn't mind worms. _

_Gatomon Fan 7: I hope this is more interesting that Spongebob Squarepants. And I love my nickname. Blue. Maybe that's how I should sign my reviews. It's a lot shorter than BlueDragon123._

Aerrow's POV

I can't sleep. I try to kid myself that I can't sleep because it's still light outside or because Radarr is snoring next to me but deep down I know that Piper is outside and I still don't have the nerve to talk to her. Why can't I just say that the thing that kept me going in that hell hole of a Cyclonian prison was the thought that if I stayed there she would be safe? Why was I so afraid? It wasn't like the feeling I got whenever I had to fight the Dark Ace. Then I wasn't afraid. Now I'm lying here hiding in my room from one of my closest friends and I was so afraid I couldn't move.

"I am some special kind of coward," I concluded aloud. I got up. Sitting down and feeling sorry for myself was a lot easier than talking to Piper but it wouldn't solve my problems. I had to go find her. As I walked past Finn's room, I heard snoring from the other side. I locked it from the outside. Better safe than sorry.

I walked into the cock-pit. It looked like Stork and Junko had also turned in early. The only one there was Piper. Suddenly I was really tense. I had the urge to run away. Maybe she hadn't seen me yet.

"Hey Aerrow," Ah, I guess she had seen me.

"Hey Piper," She looked cross. What had I done now?

"I thought you were supposed to be sleeping!" That's why she was cross. Because she was worried I wasn't getting any sleep. Internally I sighed "_What hope do I really have with her?"_ I turned to leave. Maybe I would try again in the morning. "Wait a minute." I turned around.

"What's wrong?" I asked and I looked at her. She was looking at the floor. That's what Piper does when she's trying to think of how to say something.

"Nothing, I guess," I wanted to leave and pretend I believed her but I knew Piper to well. She wouldn't look me in the eyes. I took a step closer.

"What's wrong?" I asked again, "Is it Finn? C'mon Piper what has he done this time? Stolen one of your crystals? Hidden the squadron log? Taped Radarr to the ceiling in your room because I can tell you that neither of you were happy about that the last time?" I was babbling now and I was only able to stop when Piper looked up and smiled. Then the serious look she'd had before crossed her face.

"Stork talked to me while you were gone."

"Don't tell me you think that I've caught Deck Ticks too. Stork has been bugging me about it for ages." She looked at me puzzled. "Apparently one of the side effects is your hair turning red."

"Hasn't your hair always been that colour?"

"Yeah but Stork won't believe me." She giggled and I smiled. But them her serious face came back and she looked me right in the eyes.

"Can we talk outside?" I was worried now. Was someone dying? Was there something that happened while I was gone? It had only been a week.

"Why outside?" I asked trying to focus on Piper instead of the random thoughts going through my head. Was that Princess Peregrine? Nope, no birthmark on her arm.

"I don't want to be interrupted by anyone."

"If by anyone you mean Finn, I locked him in his room." She smiled at this but then she flattened it out again. I was a little bit annoyed now. Why was she being so serious? I followed her outside. The sun was beginning to set and there was a splatter of colours from deep purple to the lightest blue scattered around the darkening sky. A few stars had already come out, lighting up a bit of the sky with pinpricks of pale white light.

"Aerrow, look at me," Piper said. It didn't sound like an order, more like a plea. I looked at her and saw that she wasn't looking me in the eye again. I took a step towards her again and put my hand on her shoulder. She sighed.

"What did Stork talk to you about?" I asked. She paused. I put my finger underneath her chin and I nudged her chin so that I could look at her. She looked at me, blankly "Is something wrong?"

"He said that you…" she seemed to have lost the ability to speak. I tried to think of what Stork could have told her about me. There was nothing in particular he knew that I hadn't told the rest of the team. Except for what he assumed like the deck fleas or… oh, he wouldn't have. He didn't. I looked at Piper. Oh man, he had. And she was trying to tell me she didn't feel the same way. My face felt like it was on fire. This was so embarrassing. I took a step away from Piper and leaned on the railings, trying to pull together enough words to tell her that it didn't matter that she didn't feel the same way.

Piper's POV

Oh no. What have I done? He won't even look at me. He's scanning the desert floor with that cute look he gets when he's thinking hard about something. Focus Piper. What could I have said?

"Look Piper," he turned around and I could see the deep red on his cheeks. It was almost the same colour as his hair. "What you're trying to tell me about what Stork told you… Look if you don't feel the same way, that's fine. It really is." He turned towards the door. "I'll see you later, okay?" Some part of me was so happy that I barely heard what he said. He loves me. He really does. And then what he had just said finally got through to me.

I grabbed his arm.

Aerrow's POV

Maybe I should go and crash into that rock now. But as I was leaving the weirdest thing happened. Piper grabbed my arm. With more strength then I would have guessed from Piper, she turned me around. I looked at her. She was smiling and her eyes looked like melted honey.

"I feel the same way." As soon as she said that it was like…well there were no words to describe it. I was the happiest I had been in a long time. Like someone had dipped my whole body in a vat of warm chocolate, sweet and warm. She smiled it me. "What are you thinking?" I smiled back.

"I think you know," and then I pulled her towards me, her soft lips met mine and we kissed beneath the sunset.

**Out in the Hall**

Third Person

In the hall watching the scene through a large but cleverly concealed gap in one of the doors leading to the cock-pit with uncharacteristic stealth was a blonde boy, a merb, a wallop and a Radarr. Junko grey eyes were wide with emotion. Stork looked like he was about to throw up. Radarr was smiling up at Finn who was smiling back down at him.

"Dudes, it took a year and a bit, Aerrow getting captured, forcing Stork to talk to Piper about love-"

"I still haven't forgiven you for that," said Stork who was now looking even greener if that was possible.

"Yeah, well it was that or never see your merb cabbage again." Everyone knew that Stork's merb cabbage was heavily guarded with booby traps but if you knew Finn you'd know he would have found a way round it.

"Anyway, one excellent piece of acting by everyone's favorite blue…Radarr" Radarr took a few mock bows "and my excellent planning" Radarr and Stork rolled their eyes in unison but Finn managed not to see "we have finally managed to hook up Piper and Aerrow."

Stork took another look out at the happy couple. ""Well, we got there in the end. But I'm pretty certain that it's going to spell doom for all of us." Finn shook his head.

"Dude, with you what doesn't?"

**On Cyclonia**

Cyclonis walked into her throne room followed by the Dark Ace, Ravess and Snipe. Snipe and Ravess had their heads drooped like bad puppies whereas the Dark Ace held his head high. For him, the taste of defeat only made him hungrier for battle and the chance to defeat Aerrow again. Cyclonis turned around and focused her piercing gaze on the two scrawny Talons guarding the door.

"Leave," she said and when they hesitated she ordered, "NOW." As soon as they left Ravess seemed to feel her courage returning. She looked up to see that Cyclonis was now looking at her and her miserable brother Snipe. Cyclonis raised her staff and a bolt of red light pinned her and Snipe to the wall.

"Can you do nothing, right?" screeched Cyclonis. Her hood uncoiled to reveal that her violet eyes were in slits. "I practically hand you the Storm Hawks and you let them get away." Ravess struggled to take in a breath. The red crystal's energy was holding her so firmly in place talking was almost impossible. Cracks were appearing in the wall from the sheer power coming from the staff. But that had never stopped Ravess before.

"The Dark…Ace…also…lost…to…children," Ravess spat and Cyclonis looked slightly amused.

"Yes the Dark Ace was beaten by Aerrow, a notoriously good fighter," Cyclonis smirked "You were beaten by the blonde one who squeals at his own shadow and Piper," that last word wiped the smile from her face. She would have her revenge on Piper soon enough. For now, Cyclonis focused on Ravess. "Hmm, now Dark Ace, should I toss these worms into the Wastelands or do you think they could still be useful?"

The Dark Ace gave a deep bow, "It is your decision, Master." Master Cyclonis smiled at him. He was a true servant, un-questioning and devoted to her cause. With a sigh, she let the two sniveling siblings drop to the floor.

"Leave. Now." Brother and sister looked at each other and left, waiting until they were far away from the throne room to begin bickering about whose fault it was that they had lost their individual fights. As soon as the door slid shut, Master Cyclonis's hood recoiled around her face.

"What should we do now, Master?" asked the Dark Ace. Master Cyclonis looked at him.

"The Storm Hawks have been a thorn in my side for too long. I had treated them like a minor annoyance but this will be the last time they thwart my plans because of that. I was so close to having a competent Commander." The Dark Ace knew she didn't mean him. He was her second in command. Not a pitiful Commander.

"You could still have him, Master. I could go now, defeat him and bring him here."

"Yes, I'm sure you could" Dark Ace detected the hint of sarcasm in her voice but let it go. His pride was not what was important here "but I need you to steal something more precious from the Storm Hawks."

"What could be more precious to the Storm Hawks then their worthless leader?"

"Piper, of course. She's the one who comes up with the plans and keeps them in check. Without her, Aerrow will come here to get her. Then we shall two new Cyclonians to add to our ranks. And the Storm Hawks will crumble without them."


	4. The Return of Chicken Feather

_Hey guys. Sorry about it taking so long for me to get this up but I had a horrible case of writers block. Anyway to stop any confusion that's probably to come, the DA's POV is a just after Aerrow escaped and Aerrow's and Piper's POV are happening now. And not to forget my faithful reviewers (speaking of which has anyone seen dombegirl? I haven't seen her for a while.):_

_Gatomon Fan7: Blue is my favorite colour too. Thanks for the nickname. It's already catching on. As for the writing stuff, it's a thought. I haven't really picked what I want to be when I grow up but you've given me a lot to think about._

_LostLyra: Sorry for not updating soon but like I said I had this huge case of writers block. Anyway enjoy._

_Doilan: Not entirely sure how I thought of the Radarr prank. It just kind of came to me. Hoorah. My spelling is finally perfect. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out._

_Alicat 259: I hope by the time you're reading this those exams are finally over. I've read your next chapter. I'm running out of ways to say awesome. (Thanks for using my new nickname, I appreciate it) _

_Jenergy: Thank you and call me Blue_

_MissJuly005: Thank you. My update time was terrible. I promise next time it will be better. BTW Cool new avatar/picture._

_MidnightRoseDew: Yeah. Maybe I'm giving Finn too many great ideas. As for what Master Cyclonis has planned for Aerrow and Piper, take a guess._

_Whisperthewolf: Great to hear from you. Sorry this took so long to get out. Your holidays must be over by tomorrow. Soz. _

Dark Ace's POV

I walked along the shadowy halls of Cyclonia with one thought on my mind: revenge. I have been humiliated by Aerrow once to many. Now he has to pay the price. And that price is one of his precious teammates, the girl: Piper. I was almost at the hanger and so close to leaving. But 'almost' never wins anything at Terra Neon. Ravess grabbed me before I could leave.

"Where are you going?" she asked or rather hissed.

"To the hanger bay. I need to leave immediately. Master Cyclonis has given me a top secret mission. I assume she told you about it," I said, as calmly as I could. She was practically spitting with fury. Master Cyclonis hadn't told her anything. Then again that wasn't my problem.

"If it's to fight the Storm Hawks, I'll enjoy the story of how you were brought down by Aerrow again," she and I exchanged glares. I was getting sick and tired of the fact that my defeats at the hand of child were common knowledge. The Talons were taking bets on how long it was before I defeated him in combat.

"I'll send the wingman, my regards," I smirked, looking at the lovely bruise that was forming on her right temple from one of that annoying blonde's arrows. She covered it with her hand and her face turned an ugly shade of purple.

"That was dumb luck. And I was facing two of them-"

"Yes, I realize. The girl and that obnoxious wingman, both without any real talents in battle," I was growing tired of this conversation. I had a job to do. I broke eye contact and began to walk down the corridor, "Watch out while I'm gone. There may be dangerous toddlers lurking around." I could here her huffing and puffing behind me.

"I'm not afraid of toddlers," was the best that she could come up with. I laughed. Ravess was always good for a chuckle. I ran to my ride and set off into the skies. My radio crackled and I cursed. I had forgotten that one of the commanders would be sending me the co-ordinates of the position of the Condor. I crossed my fingers and prayed that it wasn't Ravess.

"Hello testing 1…2…3," I sighed. It was Commander Chicken Feather or Scar Face or whatever he couldn't decide his name was. I wanted to throw him into the Wastelands. He had managed to be thwarted by that blue squirrel from the Storm Hawks and he was always annoyed at people for not remembering the eighty or so choices for his name. In other words, he was as useless as his Doom-Laden-Weather-Balloons-Of-Doom.

"I can hear you, Chicken Feather."

"My name is not Chicken Feather."

"Then what is it?" I regretted asking without delay.

"Well, I haven't decided. It's either Iron Jaw or Fear Strike or maybe-" I'm sure there was more to come but I was on a mission and didn't have time for this.

"Listen Chicken Feather, I really don't care. Could you please just look up from your Big Book of Commander's Names and tell me where that infernal ship is before I come back there and dump you into the furnaces," I heard him gulp and I smiled.

"The Condor was spotted heading towards Terra Sahar," he stuttered but I suppose it was better than nothing. I rolled my eyes. Hiding in plain sight like no-one had ever thought of that before.

"Okay, listen to me carefully Chicken Feather. I need you to call all the Talon posted near by and get them to meet me at the meeting point on Sahar."

"You mean in the tent just outside the market plaza?"

"Yes and do it quickly Chicken Feather. I'm going to need all the Cyclonians I can get."

Aerrow's POV

The sunrise on Terra Sahar is supposed to be the most beautiful thing that you've ever seen. For me, it wasn't even close. Piper lying next to me fast asleep, the sun's first rays dancing across her dark skin was the best thing that I had ever seen. And I was never ever going to let her go.

"I'm never going to let anything happen to you," I whispered and Piper stirred in her sleep. Was that a hint of a smile? I couldn't tell in the twilight. We were lying on the roof of the Condor. Last night, I had taken her up here because we could here the guys giggling behind one of the doors.

It had been a quiet night. We were both happy to just sit there and talk. No more awkwardness, no more walls between us and best of all, no Finn to interrupt. Thinking about that made me feel really guilty. Where was Radarr? He probably felt like I had abandoned him. I watched the sun slowly rising over the ridge of dull yellow stone. I should probably wake up Piper. Just as I was thinking that, she opened her eyes and stretched.

"Morning," I said, "How'd you sleep?"

"Great," she smiled back. Then she groaned.

"What's wrong?"

"How on earth are we going to explain this to everyone?" I was confused.

"But the guys already know."

"Yeah but what about the Rebel Ducks," she sighed. I chuckled.

"I'll bet that Finn has already told them and the rest of the Atmos by now," There was an indignant grunt from underneath us.

"Not true, dude. I can keep a secret," Piper and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Morning, Finn," Piper giggled, "Anyone else down there with you." On cue, Radarr popped out of the grate next to me and jumped on my shoulder. He looked from me to Piper and then back again, smiling happily.

"Are you guys coming down or what?" a familiar voice asked.

"Stork? You're listening too?" I asked.

"No just sick of watching Finn with his ear pressed to the side of the Condor. And for the record, while you were sleeping he told the Rebel Ducks," I was glad Finn had told them. I had been dreading telling them…or anyone else come to think of it "wait there's more. The Rex Guardians, The Absolute Zeroes, The Third Degree Burners and Starling."

"FINN!" I have never seen Piper as mad as she was at that point.

"What?" He said.

"I can't believe you told Starling! I wanted to be the one to tell her," I rolled my eyes. Piper was too furious with Finn to see me. She rolled of the ceiling and onto the balcony outside the cock-pit. I sighed and followed. Some things will never change.

"Aerrow, control your girlfriend," I heard Finn screech as Piper tried to grab him around the collar. Stork was watching, trying his hardest not to laugh. Junko was asleep. Radarr and I looked at each other and we both exchange looks. A proximity alert went off. That shut up Finn and Piper. Piper was distracted long enough for Finn to slip out of the half-Nelson she had him in. Rubbing his arm and scowling at Piper Finn asked,

"Who is it?" Stork pulled down the periscope and had a look through. He blanched and for a guy who's a pale shade of green, that's quite a trick.

"Cyclonians. Lots of them. Looks like we were spotted on our way here." I scowled. I could see them from here. From a distance they could be mistaken for a flock of angry birds.

"Can we get away from here before the catch us?" I asked.

"Nope. It would take to long for the engine to start. They could shoot us out of the sky before we left the Terra. We're doomed," I looked to Piper.

"Have you got a plan?" She smiled at me and winked.

"I got a plan," she looked to Junko, "Finn, can you wake up Junko?"

"Not a problem," Finn went over and tapped Junko on the shoulder. Junko muttered something about food and opened his eyes. He looked at us.

"Oh hey guys. Something wrong?"

"A hundred Cyclonians or so. Nothing big. So what's the plan?" asked Finn and Piper grinned.

"Finn, you and Aerrow are going to have to fight off the Cyclonians until the Rebel Ducks get here. I'll radio them and maybe they can get here quicker. Junko, can you fly up to the ship and see if you can sabotage it?" Junko nodded. This was great. It had been ages since I'd had the chance to crush some Talons. "Aerrow?" I looked at her and I saw that she was worried, "Please be careful."

"I always am," she raised her eyebrows at me. "Okay, I'll be careful." I kissed her quickly. Finn stuck his finger down his throat which kind of ruined it.

Then he ran for his skimmer, yelling, "C'mon lover boy," I was ready to put him through one of the Condor's walls but Piper put her hand on my shoulder.

"We'll get him later." I nodded and ran for my skimmer where Radarr was already waiting.

Piper's POV

I shouldn't care how the fight was going. I should know by now that Aerrow is perfectly capable of handling sixty or so Talons all on his own, without Radarr or Finn or Junko looking out for him. But I don't. Every time I ever saw anyone go off into battle I've always had that fear for anyone who's my friend and fights Cyclonians on a regular basis but the fact that Aerrow was captured recently and that he loves me are making me even more nervous. I had finished radioing Dove who should be here to help any minute now. Still I was really restless and I think it was getting on Stork's nerves. Suddenly there was a bang. It sounded like one of the pipes in the corridor had burst again.

"I'll go check it out," I said, thankful that there was something to take my mind of Aerrow for a while. Stork raised his eyebrows but he didn't comment. Something told me he would rather eat live mindworms than ask me to talk about what I was feeling (unless it was related to mindworms).

I found the burst pipe. Steam was leaking everywhere, it was impossible to see anything. I felt my way along until I found the burst pipe. I reached for my bag of crystals, thinking about which one I could use to patch up the pipe. Then I smelled smoke.

What? Smoke? The steam was fading but I could see a smoky outline appearing. I looked down. At my feet was a water bucket. It was dry and the metal ridges were smoking. From the blacked remains at the bottom I guessed that, someone had dumped a high grade firebolt crystal and a geyser crystal into the bucket. It was a trap. But who set it?

"Who are you?" A laugh bounced around the corridor and immediately I knew who it was.

"How rude of me. I assumed you knew who I was. Your boyfriend certainly does," I tried to remain impassive but I couldn't help being surprised though through the waning mist I hope he hadn't seen my face.

"How do you about Aerrow?" I asked. The thought of Aerrow made me brave. It would take a lot more than the Dark Ace to scare me.

"I've been watching you for days. I could have easily destroyed you both last night but for some reason Master Cyclonis needs you both alive." I remained calm.

"Where's Aerrow?" He chuckled and I jumped. He had moved behind me. My hand reached into my crystal pouch and I grasped the Petrifying Crystal. I looked for the smoky shadow of the Dark Ace. I was ready for him.

"Probably fighting the Talons for all I care. It was a good distraction, don't you think?" I felt something cold pressing against my stomach. "Good night, Piper." He fired his sword and the pure power of his firebolt crystal into my stomach. I hit something hard. I think it was the wall. As I stared into those fuzzy red eyes and fought the blackness, I had time for one thought.

Aerrow.

_R&R Hope you enjoyed it. _


	5. Piper problems

_Hey guys. Thank you for being patient. To my faithful reviewers:_

_PaigeyLou: Hey. I was wondering where you were. I thought that last thought might be cool. I think you may enjoy this chapter._

_Alicat259: What better word is there than awesome?_

_Gatomon Fan 7: Not a problem. Glad you're enjoying the story_

_Doilan: Thanks for the spelling mistake update and for being understanding about my writers block._

_Jenergy: Define okay._

_M-R-D: Who doesn't love Commander Chicken Feather? I wish I could bring him into my story more_

_Whisperthewolf: *whispers* Authors never get tierd of the words 'good', 'awesome' or 'duck'. These words will make any author feel better smile no matter how many times you use them. You're an author too. You should know these things. _

_MissJuly005: Enjoy!_

Aerrow's POV

I wondered what made me think that something was strange. It could have been the fact that before Junko had sunk the Cyclonian ship it had flown off leaving all the Cyclonians behind. It could have been the smile on the Talons faces when they retreated. But I think it was the panicked call from Stork telling Piper was missing that told me something was wrong. When we landed on the runway, I could have sworn that I saw a slight shimmer on the air but it was probably my imagination. I was just so worried about Piper.

"I can't find her anywhere," mumbled Stork over the radio. "She went to check on a burst steam pipe and she never came back." I landed on the runway and ran to the cock-pit not bothering to wait for Finn or Junko or even Radarr. I would apologize when I knew for certain that she was safe. As I ran along the corridor, a piece of paper caught my eye. I picked it up and read what was on it.

Suddenly everything seemed like it was underwater. Junko and Finn ran up to me but I could barely hear or see them. They seemed worried. Finn was saying something but I couldn't hear him. All I could do was look at this piece of paper and hope I was dreaming. It couldn't be true.

Finn's POV

Junko and I ran after Aerrow. I knew he was worried because he hadn't waited for Radarr. Aerrow was always really worried about Piper. She had probably just gone to her room to pick up some crystals and was still fixing the pipe. Stork was over reacting. It wouldn't have been the first time.

So when we found Aerrow staring at a piece of paper, we were kind of surprised. We got worried when we realized that he was muttering 'no no no' under his breath. Radarr climbed onto his shoulder and gave him a nudge but Aerrow barely noticed he was there.

"Aerrow? Are you okay, dude?" I said and I put my hand on his shoulder and had a look at the piece of paper. Piper's handwriting was all over the place like she had been in a rush. I read it and them I knew why Aerrow was so upset.

_Aerrow,_

_I'm leaving. I'm sorry but I can't stay and I can't tell you why. Please don't come looking for me because you won't find me. _

_Goodbye,_

_Piper._

Harsh. Junko read over Aerrow's other shoulder and his eyes watered. For a wallop who can tear a solid iron door in two, Junko is a real softie. I really didn't know what to say to Aerrow. I figured that this would kill him. Aerrow stuffed the note in his pocked, turned to us and said,

"Finn, can you go radio the Rebel Ducks?" I understood.

"Yeah dude. I wouldn't want them over right now either," I said. Aerrow turned away.

"No, Finn. Can you ask them to hurry up? I need to talk to Dove about something," I was stunned. He shouldn't want company over. Then Aerrow turned away and looked at me. His eyes were the colour of cabbage and his face wasn't smiling like it usually was. The worst part was he reminded me of how the Dark Ace looks every time he loses a battle.

I walked to the cock-pit. Junko had come with me but Radarr was still with Aerrow. I wouldn't trade places with Radarr. Not for anything. Stork turned around when we came into the cock-pit.

"Did you find her? Where was she? How come she didn't tell me?" It was kind of nice and upsetting to see that Stork assumed Piper was still on the Condor. I looked at Junko who was about to cry.

"Can you tell Stork what happened? I need to radio the Rebel Ducks," I felt bad asking Junko to do that but he just nodded while I went to the radio.

"Hello…testing 1-2-3. Can anybody hear me?" I got static for a bit and then somebody on the other end picked up.

"Hello Finn. Where's Piper?" Good question.

"We don't know."

"She was captured? Those Cyclonian swine! We will get there as soon as we can. We will make them pay-"she went on like that for a while. It was kinda sad hearing her go on about Piper and how worried she was but I figured Dove needed to vent. When she paused, I told her,

"Piper wasn't captured. She left," There was a long silence on the other side of the radio and I got the feeling that Dove wasn't the only one who was listening to this conversation.

"But…that's not like Piper. She would never…why…I suppose you want us gone for a while, yes? This must be a difficult time for you all."

"No. That's the weird part."

"Weirder than Piper leaving."

"Almost. Aerrow wants you over here ASAP. He told me he wanted to talk to you about something," I heard muttering behind her. There was another clang and a half hearted 'what did I say about talking' from Dove. I feel sorry for the guy who was chatting. "Look, Dove. Do you know what he wants to talk about?"

"Not a clue. By the way, Finn. My team and I were wondering if you were going to greet us with a taste of your rock." I grinned. Maybe today wouldn't end on a flat note.

"Yeah, sure if you guys can handle it."

"Ah you see that is the problem," Okay so today officially sucks. "You see Adrian has a horrible headache and we're worried your rock will make it worse," Hmm I wonder why Adrian had a headache. Dove should defiantly see someone about her anger issues.

"Fine. See you soon," I said and I hung up. Stork and Junko looked at me. Stork is always depressed but he did seem sadder if that was possible. Junko looked like he was about to cry. There was a silence that none of us wanted to break. Then Stork sighed.

"Well at least Finn's not going to be playing his rock today."

Piper's POV

I can't move. It's dark. And I'm not on the Condor anymore. I feel really stupid. I should have been more careful. Aerrow must be worried sick. Unless he was here too. I struggled against my bonds but it was like they were made of stone. I could barely move. Someone in the darkness laughed.

"Who's there?" I asked, trying not to sound scared.

"Don't worry, best friend. It's just me," a blinding white light flashed and there was Cyclonis smiling like a sky shark. Of all the things to see when you wake up, Cyclonis is not in anyone's top ten. Maybe the Dark Ace's.

"Where's Aerrow?" I was not playing games with Cyclonis. As long as Aerrow wasn't here, he could be getting a rescue mission together. I think I showed him enough maps of Cyclonia and he still has Junko, Finn, Radarr and Stork to help him. No doubt the guys are half way here.

"Oh what do I care about that stupid little sky knight?"

"_Enough to capture him and try to turn him into a Cyclonian" _I thought but I got the feeling that wouldn't be the time to point that out.

"Then why did you bring me here?" I asked instead.

"Because Piper you are almost as good with crystals as I am and I want you on my side. You see, I captured Aerrow as a test to see if you would identify what I was going to do to him. And you did, didn't you?" I didn't answer that.

"I am never ever going to be a Cyclonian so you can take your idea and shove it-" suddenly Cyclonis lifted her staff and I stopped talking. I couldn't move.

"Piper, did you really think I was giving you a choice in the matter?" She laughed, "Oh you are so naïve. I had the Dark Ace put you through a little treatment before you came here." She waved her staff under my nose. On top, where she usually kept a crystal of mass destruction was a Hypnosis Crystal. When she moved it under my face, I found I could move my head again.

When I looked at the Hypnosis Crystal, I also took a look to see what was strong enough to hold me sown on the gurney. And when I saw what it was I realized just how bad the situation was.

Nothing was holding me to the gurney but I couldn't move. I fought harder. I tried to move my arms. Not even my fingers twitched. Cyclonis started to laugh.

"What's the matter, Piper?" She was still waving that Hypnosis Crystal under my nose, "Do you miss the Storm Hawks?"

"Yes," _What's she doing?_

"Who's in the Storm Hawks?"

"There's Finn" she swiped the crystal under my nose. Suddenly I could only just remember who Finn was. He was a wingman, he played the guitar and he annoyed me. Another swipe. Who's Finn?

"Go on," she said with a sneer in her voice.

"Junko" I whispered and I held onto the thought of Junko but she waved the Hypnosis crystal and I couldn't remember who he was. It was just a name.

"Stork" I squeaked "Radarr" and I clung onto their images harder but the Hypnosis crystal's power was like tar, black and unyielding. It smothered them as well. Now I could only remember Aerrow. I wouldn't let her take him as well.

"Who else?" asked Cyclonis. She held the Hypnosis Crystal an inch from my face moved it slowly side to side. "Who else, Piper?"

"No-one," I said and Cyclonis grinned. She had been waiting for me to say that.

"Say his name," she said and brought the Hypnosis Crystal to my eye level. "Say his name. Get it over with. Just say his name and this will all be over." I held on to every scrap of memory I had left. I could feel my memory falling into the blackness but they didn't make sense anymore. Not without the rest of the team. Who were they? I struggled to remember.

"Say his name, Piper. Give up. You've lost," No! Cyclonis hadn't won yet.

"_Never" _I thought but when I opened my mouth to say it I said something else.

"Aerrow". How? Cyclonis chuckled and then I realized it was true. I had lost everything. But that wouldn't stop Cyclonis from taking more.

"Good bye, Piper," said Cyclonis and with one sweep of her staff, I fell into the black pit with the rest of my memories.

_Who am I? Where am I? A girl with violet eyes looked down at me. I knew her. I struggled to remember. I could only think of one word but it slipped away and I forgot. _

"_Who are you?" I asked._

"_Master Cyclonis," the girl said. "I'm afraid you've had a terrible accident. It looks like the Storm Hawks have removed all your memories. So tragic."_

"_Who are the Storm Hawks?" I asked._

"_They are our enemies," Master Cyclonis whispered, "Don't worry. You are safe here." I felt safe. Master Cyclonis was very kind. So I asked her,_

"_Who am I?"_

"_You. Your name is Lark." _


	6. Replacement and Revenge

_Hello too all the reader people. To my reviewers I say:_

_Alicat259: Yes the one downside to this plot line, no fluff. Sorry about not continuing soon enough._

_Gatoman Fan 7: It would take a lot to make me stop._

_Doilan: What? No spelling mistakes. I must be getting better at this. _

_M-R-D: Trust me. We are soooo not even yet. Your story has a lot more questions and you used to black mail me. Congrats you're using your story to your own advantage. I've never been so proud. However I do need to give people time to review. Patience is an annoyance and a virtue. Go figure._

_Booklover4177: Here it is. Enjoy._

_Whisperthewolf: Duck is not supposed to tell me the stories good. It lets me know you read my review to your review and it makes people smile. And I never get tired of typing them either. I get tired of looking for substitutions but you can't beat the originals. Anyway if you thought there was suspense before you ain't seen nothing yet._

_LostLyra: Fix it with a kiss? Way too cliché even for me. _

_Jenergy: Here's more to read. Sorry that it took so long._

* * *

Aerrow's POV

The Ducks have finally arrived. What do you know? She left and the world carries on. Whoever said life was unfair was right. If there was any justice in the world, I would have been thrown into the Wastelands when the Talons attacked. Dove walked over to me. The other Ducks filed over to Stork, Junko and Finn. One of them was rubbing the back of his head. I think he must have been Adrian.

Radarr is on my back. He's my best friend and ironically enough, the one I can't talk too. I really wish I didn't have to do this. And more than anything I wish that Radarr wasn't here to see this.

"Hey Dove" I said and watched Radarr waving at her from my shoulder. He seems tense. Has he guessed? He caught my eye and I almost smiled. Is there anything that Radarr doesn't pick up on? No pun intended.

"Hello Aerrow. I am sorry to hear about Piper," she was being nice but when she said her name it felt like someone had stabbed me with a knife.

"Yeah. We really miss her," I said, carefully avoiding her name, "That's kind of the reason I invited you over here. I think we need a new crystal mage. Do you know anyone who could do it?" Dove laughed.

"Of course Aerrow, I would be delighted to take the job," I was kind of surprised.

"What about your squadron? What about your Dad? What about your home?" She smiled at me knowingly. She turned to the Rebel Ducks.

"Guys, would you mind if I joined the Storm Hawks?" Every one of the Ducks started shaking their head in unison. "Adrian, would you tell papa?" The head rubber nodded. I've never heard of someone turning a crack team of sky knights into bobble heads before but Dove had done it. It was hard not to laugh. "Will Terra Gale be defended while I'm gone?"

I swear I heard one of the mutter 'yes now that we don't have our biggest headache' but it must have been my imagination. Dove turned back to me. Behind her, the Rebel Ducks started cheering, quietly. That's not a good sign.

"What about a navigator?" I had thought about this for a long time or at least until the Ducks had arrived.

"I can take over as navigator," I said. "How hard can it be?"

Dove smiled at me "Famous last words." She walked off (the Rebel Ducks had stopped celebrating). I went to sit down. Radarr whined at me from my shoulder.

"What's wrong, buddy?" He raised an eyebrow to say 'yeah like you don't know'. "I'm not replacing her. If she wants her job she can come back and get it. But she left. She made her decision. Life goes on," unfortunately, "and I have a responsibility to the team," which is the only thing keeping me out of the Wastelands.

Radarr looked at me and I knew he knew what I was thinking so I replied,

"Radarr, can you go and make sure Finn's guitar is well hidden. Just in case?" Radarr nodded and scampered off. I haven't actually hidden Finn's guitar so it should give me five minutes to think. And then Radarr will come back and he will make me pay. Last time I did that to him he glued my head to a pillow.

Still, I needed to be on by own and I got the feeling that this would be the only chance I got. She was gone and I had a job to do. I just can't help but wonder why.

Five minutes later

Nothing. I still can't think of why she would want to leave. Unless she really didn't like me in that way and she left before things got out of hand and she had to do something she would regret. I have to stop listening to Finn so much. If she had a problem with us, Piper would have told me. So why did she leave?

Lark's POV

Life on Cyclonia is many things. Fun is not one of them. Not that I remember living anywhere else thanks to those stupid Storm Hawks. Master Cyclonis told me about how they had captured me and then tortured me for secrets. Apparently, I held onto the secrets but the events were so traumatic that I repressed my memory of the whole thing. And everything else. Apparently, I should get my memories back some time soon.

Master Cyclonis has an idea. She thinks that she can find my memories through hypnosis. She has to hypnotize me everyday to see if she can find my memories. It's really nice of her. So far however all I've managed to remember is about crystals. She can't find anything else and I think it's frustrating her.

I've been given a room near the Master Chambers and my old uniform back (the usual talon green and red with patches of orange here and there). When she and I aren't working on regaining my memories we're working on firebolt crystals. We are trying to purify them further to get a higher degree of power from them.

I can't help but think that I am hindering not helping but when I told Master Cyclonis that she laughed and said that she never thought she would hear me say that. When we manage to purify the firebolt crystal Master Cyclonis says she'll let me see it used on Aerrow, the leader of the Storm Hawks and the bane of both of our lives. I asked her what he looked like and she said that the sooner we finished this crystal the sooner I would find out.

The subject of my tormentors never really came up in the labs much and I can see why. I don't want those memories back. Still I was curious so I snuck into the Talons Cafeteria and asked about them. Most of the girls started giggling when I asked about Aerrow and all the boys could talk about was how they would defeat him next time and prove themselves and bla bla.

So I asked about the other members of the team. There's a blonde wingman called Finn. He's a good shot but his skimmer keeps on being blown to bits and he has to rely on his other teammates for rides. Rumor has it he once took down Repton's boomerang but it's just a rumor. Apparently Finn is afraid of his own shadow and screams like a little girl.

Junko is a huge wallop. He's mean and tough who has sent loads of Talons to the infirmary. He's got green, glowing knuckle busters that have been known to lift carriers and tear skimmers in half. He's also got a baby on his side that is smart enough to take Snipe's master ships. I wasn't impressed. I'd heard from Master Cyclonis about Snipe already. I know several chickens that could probably beat Snipe at Rock Paper Scissors. The interesting thing about chickens is that they can only pick paper.

Radarr is a small squirrel with deadly accuracy who flings wrenches at unsuspecting Talons that pilots Aerrow's skimmer while he's gone sinking skimmers. He's also blue. I almost gave up at that point. And then I heard about Stork.

A green merb who spends most of his time on the fabled Condor, Stork is apparently a great pilot by the sky knight's standards but can easily be out flown by normal Cyclonian cruisers. He rarely leaves the ship except to attack Snipe and his team of Bog Howlers who can do a jig, with his crack team of Sky Scouts. At this point I gave up.

The last member I found out about by accident. As I was leaving, a woman with pink hair and a huge muscled guy with purple hair walked down the corridor fighting as only siblings can (I assumed that this was Snipe and Ravess). I ducked into a room and crashed into a mop and bucket. Luckily I think that Ravess and Snipe were fighting too loud to hear me.

"Why can't we go see her?" whined Snipe.

"Because Master Cyclonis has declared her off limits until she is sure the hypnosis will hold. Until then she could betray us to the Storm Hawks or escape or worse she could stop helping the Master with her oh so important discoveries." Ravess sounded really bossy which only made me surer it was Ravess.

"So you want to meet her too?"

"Snipe, just how dimwitted are you? I have already met her."

"Then do you want to see her?"

"Yes."

"Correction, you both want to see the little freak." This voice was new. I peaked out of the crack in the door. I saw Ravess and Snipe wear identical masks of anger at the new guy. This guy was tall, slim with dark hair and an energy blade strapped to his back. I noticed a smudged sign on the back of the holster. Something inside my brain told me that was the sign of the Storm Hawks. Was he Aerrow? No. How could he have gotten inside? Who was he?

"How nice to see you Dark Ace. What brings you down here?" Oh no, now I was in trouble. I'm not allowed to leave Master Cyclonis's labs unless it's time for rest or lunch but I had another ten minutes to go before she came to check on me. If the Dark Ace found me, he'd take me to Cyclonis and I'd be in a lot of trouble. I probably wouldn't be allowed to work with the crystals anymore.

"Same reason as you two. I wanted to check on the new recruits from Terra Wallop. Our alliance with them" all three of them laughed, I wonder why "has proved to be a great idea on the part of Master Cyclonis. We should be able to take Terra Neon any day now. And then we can activate plan Aphrus."

For some reason I looked down at the chunk of blue rock on my neck. It was lapis lazuli and one of my most precious possessions. To be fairly honest though, for some reason it didn't feel right. Something was missing from it but then Ravess started talking again and I forgot all about my crystal.

"You do realize that we will never be able to defeat her precious Storm Hawks without her. There's so much irony here I could cry." She smirked and dabbed at her eyes. Bad sense of humor, pink hair and bossy to the point of anyone being near her wanting to push her of the Terra, yep that was defiantly Ravess. And the blank look in his eyes at the word 'irony' told me that was defiantly Snipe.

"If you'll excuse me, the Master wants me to check on Piper today. As a test to see if the hypnosis has taken hold." The word Piper got me interested. She was part of the Storm Hawks but no-one had mentioned her. The Dark Ace walked off and I ran to my room. There was a plate of sandwiches waiting for me which I ate as fast as I could without choking.

Master Cyclonis walked in on time. "Hello Lark. Do you mind if we have our hypnotism session early today? I need you to meet someone." I nodded and followed her down the corridor, wondering about Piper. Who was she? Why had none of the Talons mentioned her? Better yet where was she. If I could find her, maybe I could learn more about my torturers. We walked into the dark room. I lay on the gurney and next to me I caught a glimpse of red.

"Lark, I would like you to meet my most trustworthy servant, The Dark Ace," said Master Cyclonis. I looked at the Dark Ace.

"What's wrong with your eyes?" I asked. He looked away. Um, maybe that was a sore subject.

"Lark, the Dark Ace used to belong to the Stork Hawks but he escaped and joined Cyclonia."

"And it was the best decision I ever made. The Storm Hawks are a bunch of spiteful kids playing sky knight." I nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I hate them too," and I meant it. One way or another I would make the Storm Hawks pay.

* * *

_R&R. Sorry about this not being a rapid pace anymore but school and the remains of writers block are a cruel but delicious smoothie. Ask Doilan. He'll back me up on this._


	7. Spikey fantasies and Real nightmares

_To my reviewers_

_Alicat259: Thanks Ali but you want to know something weird *whispers* I hate doing Lark's POV. I never ever think I get it right. Anyway thanks for the review and understanding about the updates._

_Gatomon Fan 7: You're doing a story. OMG! Put it up ASAP. I can't wait to see it._

_Doilan: Thanks for backing me up about the milkshake. I think the moustache was a nice touch. I like your new avatar…though it is a little weird, no offense to Junko or anything. _

_Whisperthewolf: Yeah well everyone is cruel to Piper and Aerrow, not just you, me and Doilan and Ali and maybe Gatomon Fan once he writes his story. _

_Booklover4177: Sorry this chapter doesn't really contain anything note worthy but I hope you enjoy it anyway._

_M-R-D: Trust me this whole Cyclonis being nice thing would freak you out more if you had to write it. Well if you were Laer (Lark/Piper) wouldn't you want revenge? And as for Aerrow being doomed, you and Stork have no idea just how doomed he is._

Lark's POV

I can't find anything out about Piper. I can never ask Master Cyclonis or Ravess or Snipe or the Dark Ace because they will all want to know where I heard it from and why I'm so interested. Truth be told, I really don't know why I care so much but if Piper was captured at the same time I was rescued that means that she must have had a hand in my torture.

I went back to the Talons Cafeteria and I asked them about Piper. They all gave me a look like I was trying to get them in trouble and said 'She's dead'. But that doesn't make sense because Ravess said that she was being held here. She and Snipe wanted to go see her. I walked back to the crystal lab to get back to my purification experiment. If this was successful, the Dark Ace might be able to cut through a skimmer a mile away.

I was setting up the equipment when Master Cyclonis walked in followed by the Dark Ace. Once again I couldn't help but notice his freaky eyes. They couldn't always have been like that. I've only seen albinos with that kind of eye colour so maybe the Dark Ace dies his hair. Otherwise he would be the Light Ace and that just doesn't make sense-

"Lark!" Master Cyclonis broke through my internal monologue. "Be careful. If you drop anything it will take us ages to get it set up again." Now that normally wouldn't have been true but Master Cyclonis is a little bit of a perfectionist when it comes to crystals. I've seen her through a Talon into the Wastelands for touching her Solaris Crystal by accident.

"Sorry Master Cyclonis. I was momentarily distracted." Ignoring the Dark Ace and his possible dyed hair, I set up the equipment while the Dark Ace and Master Cyclonis watched. I began to think about Piper. Maybe the fact that she is so insignificant that no-one wants to talk about her now she's dead is a sign. Or maybe the Talons were just told that she was dead. Maybe she was still here somewhere.

"It looks like you are more than momentarily distracted," said the Dark Ace but I refused to look up. I finished hooking up the machinery and put the firebolt crystal in the middle of the circle of covered leachers. The modified leachers (it took weeks for Master Cyclonis and I to work out the frequency for those crystals) would be exposed to the firebolt crystal taking away most of its energy and about fifty to sixty percent of the remaining impurities in it. That would hopefully give it a transparent look which can only be found in high grade wind stone. Either that or the leachers will absorb so much that they will explode and take the lab with them. It's a fifty-fifty chance.

"Ready when you are Master Cyclonis," I said and turned away. Watching firebolt crystals while they are reacting is highly dangerous. You can go blind. There was a red flash behind me and a blast of heat. I waited for Master Cyclonis to tell me that the experiment was over but she said nothing and I kept my back turned.

"You may look around Lark," I turned to see the crystal. The leachers hummed in their circle with an eerie light surrounded by charred machinery but in the middle was a translucent red crystal. We had done it. There stood a firebolt crystal of a pure grade that you could usually only find in wind stones. I wondered how powerful it was and from the way the Dark Ace was staring at it I knew he was thinking the same thing.

"Let's go and try this out shall we Dark Ace. Lark you are the co-creator. Perhaps you would like to see this too," I nodded, still looking at the crystal. I followed Master Cyclonis until I realized that we were farther and farther away from the chambers.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see" smiled the Dark Ace. I smiled back but I hate it when people are vague. Suddenly we turned into a room full of Wallops. They all looked uncomfortable in their Talon uniforms and two of them were having an arm wrestling match in the corner. When they saw Master Cyclonis, they all stood to attention.

When they saw the Dark Ace, a couple of them looked scared and when they saw me, every one of them was confused. A straw dummy was wheeled in by two Talons. The dummy had ridiculous untidy red hair, a lopsided smile that was crayoned on with a felt-tip and green eyes. Something about it looked familiar but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

"Wallops, how nice to see you," hissed Master Cyclonis. "We are so glad that you have seen decided to join Cyclonia." A few of them rolled their eyes. "We just wanted to show you what happens to Talons that go AWAL. Dark Ace." The Dark Ace took over from there.

"First they are tracked down by our Occucrows and blood hyde tracking beasts. Then they are brought to me" he brought out a sword from the holster on his back and inserted the pure grade firebolt crystal "and I ask you" he turned to the dummy his energy sword glowing a fierce red "any last requests."

And then he ran forward and cleaved it in two. Both halves burst into flame and there was the smell of molten metal. The Dark Ace had swung too hard and had sliced clean through the floor. A few Talons looked up from guard duty below us.

"So let us hope none of you are stupid enough to leave," added Master Cyclonis. The Wallops were silent, a few of them were pale and the others looked like they were about to faint at any moment. "Now go to your dormitories. Dinner is in forty minutes. Anyone who is late will be fed to the Occucrows. That is all."

And with that we walked out of the room leaving behind several shell-shocked Wallops. Something collapsed with a loud bang. I didn't look back.

Later on that night when I was alone in my room as I was drifting off to sleep I thought about the Wallops. They had all looked so scared. Why? Cyclonis had been nothing but nice to me since I came here. What was there to be afraid of? I tried to remember if she had ever been scary or mean to anyone except for maybe the occasional Talon…

_It was a breezy day and I was sitting on a hill covered in wavy grass underneath a weeping willow. All around me beautiful flowers bloomed but I couldn't remember their names. I didn't even know where I was. I looked down. What was I wearing? My Talon uniform was gone and had been replaced by an armour with dark blue and orange patches. It felt familiar and I kind of liked the new armour. The Talon uniform made me feel like a Christmas decoration that had been attacked by a toddler with a crayon._

"_So you do remember," someone whispered. It was weird like they were next to me and far away all at the same time. It was a defiantly a man's voice but not one I had heard before. Or had I? I struggled to remember. I turned around and saw a shadow behind me. Its outlines were fuzzy but it looked vaguely human, standing straight with…spikes on its head?_

"_Remember what?" I asked. _

"_Who you are. Maybe you don't remember after all. I'm sorry but Lark you need to wake up. I'm so sorry but you do have to wake up."_

"Wake up!" I jolted awake.

"Who am I?" I said and then felt very stupid because a Talon was standing next to me. I glared at him and he cringed away from me. I had pity and asked "What do you want?"

"Master Cyclonis request your presence," he said in a spooky voice and shrank into the doorframe. Talons are such drama queens. I could only think about the dream. I had never had anything like that. I looked outside. It was dark outside but the sun was peaking over the mountains that obscured the rest of Atmosia from sight.

I got dressed and headed for the throne room. Master Cyclonis looked angry for some reason. She turned to me and her soft violet eyes were in slits. She held her head in both hands and when she emerged her eyes were back to normal.

"Sorry about shocking you, Lark but Talons are reporting that Storm Hawks are freeing the prisoners on the East Wing."

"Are they looking for Piper?" I asked. Whoops. I remembered I wasn't supposed to know about that.

"How do you know about her?" asked Master Cyclonis.

"I heard two Cyclonians talking about her," I said resisting the urge to look at my shoes. Master Cyclonis softened.

"I was hiding her so that you don't remember anything that could make you turn insane. I'm sorry but we shall talk about this later. I need you to follow these two guards to somewhere you will be safe, okay?"

"Yes, Master Cyclonis," she smiled at me, which for some reason put me on edge. She looked like the cat that caught the mouse.

Finn's POV

I think Aerrow has lost it. Since Piper left he has been taking more and more dangerous missions which is fine (even though he leaves Dove in charge who has attitude and a wicked left hook) because he can fight Cyclonians and win. When he called us to ask us if we could help him bust out a couple of Terra Rex engineers I don't think he heard everyone except for Dove say no.

Actually Stork doesn't mind that much either. He says Cyclonia kind of reminds him of home. I asked him if he usually had a hundred or so Talons swooping around his doorstep at home and he looked at me like I was stupid. Anyway we are down here my hair has almost caught fire five times and Aerrow and Radarr are leading a charge for two engineers who aren't even that good at their jobs. Otherwise they wouldn't have been caught.

Anyway we're fighting our way through leagues of never tiring Talons to get the engineers back to the Condor. Can't we just loan Terra Rex Junko and go home? I wouldn't have even suggested it to Aerrow. Those battles have taken their toll on him. He's so pale that he looks grey, his eyes are a horrible mushy green and he doesn't smile anymore. Ever. If he talks you call yourself lucky if you get more than four syllables. Radarr looks tired and worn and his coat is matted with what looks like saliva and ash. He can't keep this up and I hope somewhere in there Aerrow can see that.

So I'm surrounded by like twenty Talons who are all trying to take my crossbow and two guys with ponytails and grimy gold armour behind me. We sent them running for reinforcements and I thought for one moment that Aerrow was going to follow them and then we would have to make sure he was okay and follow. But then something weird happened to Aerrow.

He looked worse than he ever had before. He seemed to loose anything that might have made him human. He seemed like a wild animal whose lunch has been stolen. I looked in the direction he was staring in and then I saw her disappearing behind a re-enforced door with her back to us. Piper! In between two Talons. In a commanders uniform. I sneak a look at Aerrow. Oh no.

_**Anyway**__ little challenge for you guys if you're bored. I know it's probably not that hard but see if you can figure out why Aerrow was taking those missions. Put it in your review and the person/people who got it right will be immortalized in my next chapter. __:D_


	8. Crud!

_Congrats to __**Doilan and Alicat257**__ for guessing that Aerrow doesn't want to die just take his mind of Piper. *round of applause* By the way to readers of my story check out Gatomon's __**Meeting 'It'. **__Trust me you will not be disappointed. And I owe her one for mistaking her for a guy (sorry I'm an idiot: P but you like me anyway). To my reviewers:_

_Diehardstormhawksfan: Thanks. Haven't seen you in a while? Thanks for pointing that out. What a rookie mistake. *Facepalm.*_

_Gatomon Fan 7: Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. Btw it's very interesting that you leap to the conclusion that I would try to make my fav character kill himself. : P_

_Booklover4177: Thanks. Hope you carry on enjoying._

_Doilan: It's great you managed to find a mistake. I was worried :P lol. You are right. Well done._

_Alicat257: Thanks you are so nice. And you're right. Congratulations_

_Jenergy: Ahh…_

_Rose (I hope it's okay to call you that): Cyclonis wearing pink? Even I'm not that weird. Soz but Aerrow has not given up on life. I updated as soon as the exams would let me. Last one tomorrow. _

Aerrow's POV

An illusion, a trick surely that's all it was but there's something in me that tells me that was her. Our Piper, the Storm Hawk, one of the Cyclonian commanders. I need to talk to her. Now! I turned to the quivering engineers.

"Can you open that door?" I asked.

"Dude" said Finn sounding cautious, "We need to get out of here." I ignored him. There were more important things going on.

"Can you open that door?" I asked again but all the engineers did was whimper. I drew one of my blades. This was no time for them to turn chicken! "Five seconds. Tell me or lose the ability to talk. Permanently" The engineers shied away.

"Junko, grab Aerrow," Finn said hurriedly. Wait! What? Junko grabbed me from behind and started running with Radarr leading the way. Traitors! Why would Finn do this? Piper was right behind that door. We could open it with the engineers help. If all else failed Junko could probably break down the door. Why had they stopped me? I struggled to break free but it was too late.

We were already sliding down the pipe that led to the Condor. Maybe Stork was so engrossed in dark poetry that he might not notice we were coming. But I knew that would never happen. Stork was ready the second we dropped in the cock-pit.

"Fly Stork," said Finn and off we went, far away from Piper. I was furious.

"Junko put me down," I said and when he hesitated I added, "That's an order." He put me down and I rounded on Finn who was trying to sneak off. Radarr was glaring at me from the table, Stork was focusing on the sky and the two engineers were quaking in the corner.

"Finn!" he turned around and for once when someone shouted he didn't look frightened. More like resolute. "Why are you going around giving orders? Piper was meters away."

He glared at me. "There might have been like fifty Talons behind that door and you wanted to risk it. We went in there to get the engineers not to find Piper."

"She's part of our team and we abandoned her. No scratch that you abandoned her with the Cyclonians." Suddenly Finn wouldn't look me in the eyes. "What?"

"Dude…" he paused like he was trying to think of how to say this gently. Then I realized what he was going to say.

"Don't you dare say it. She would never…how could you think…that's ridiculous," I looked around for support. Surely no-one else thought that. Suddenly there was silence. The engineers had stopped whimpering and were staring at their red and green striped prison uniforms. Stork had his eyes glued to the sky and Junko was on the brink of tears. Radarr wouldn't look at me.

"Dude who are you trying to kid? She was wearing a commander's uniform. She was being guarded by two skinny talons and her hands weren't even tied." I was furious at Finn because he couldn't be right and Piper would never do such a thing. Would she? My head hurt and I needed to think.

"Stork how much longer until we get to Terra Rex?" Stork looked at me.

"Half an hour, maybe less," no doom and gloom speech. A bad sign.

"I think Radarr and I need to go rest up," I said and Radarr smiled at me. I noticed how tired he looked. Maybe one of us was going to rest before Terra Rex. I had too much to think about. Radarr jumped on my shoulder and I headed to my room. Radarr curled up at the foot of the bed and fell asleep. Later he needed a bath. There was still some Volka bat spit in his fur from when we had flushed them out of the Terra Atmosia mines.

I opened the draw of my bedside cabinet. It only held two things: the Squadron log (I took it so when Piper came back it wouldn't be covered in chocolate or worse) and the Sermus crystal. I almost wished it was missing, that would explain why Piper did this. Everything around me was going blurry. I put the crystal and laid back. I could feel sleep coming and I slowly fell into what I hoped was a dreamless sleep.

Lark's POV

I don't know what the point of my guard was. I doubt between the two of them that they could keep away one Sky Knight let alone the team that had busted out the prisoners. It was a miracle they knew which end of their crystal spears was which. We were hiding in one of the planning rooms where the commanders would go over battle plans with the Talons.

I lay down on the table and yawned. The two guards were talking quietly outside and I was still tired. But I didn't want to sleep. The dream I'd had was bothering me. Not because it was scary but because it had felt familiar almost peaceful there. But it was something more than that. I had felt a longing to be there with the spiky thing among the flowers and the tree instead of being stuck in this dark world with the childish Talons and the ugly landscape.

I was glad no one could read my mind or guess what I was feeling. But this was my home. I was a Cyclonian Commander (although apparently I was to wait until I had all my memories back before I was to be sent into combat). I was friends with Master Cyclonis, who I had come to respect. And I was home. There was no where else on the Atmos that would accept me or understand me.

Master Cyclonis had told me about her family had been chased out of their Terra for 'evil' powers. Apparently her great- grandmother had been the crystal Mage and her own husband had betrayed her saying that she was practicing powers over humans as well as crystals. So she escaped and formed a revolution against the fat, old council so that they could start afresh.

The Dark Ace had been brought up to think that the Sky Knights were good and honest but one day he was captured by a few Talons and brought to Cyclonia. According to Master Cyclonis, her mother had shown him what they did and he had agreed with the idea of the revolution and overthrowing the council. He had returned to the squadron that he had come from and defended the whole of Cyclonia by beating their leader in one to one combat.

That's when I found about the Dark Ace's eyes. When Cyclonis great grandmother started the resistance her best Talon was an albino. In his memory, the top Talon commander had to have surgery to turn his eyes red. When the Dark Ace proved his loyalty to Cyclonia he was found to be the best fighter among the Talons and Master Cyclonis had ordered her champion to have the surgery to change his eye colour from dark brown to red. About fifty percent of the Talons survived the surgery with their eyesight intact. The Dark Ace had been incredibly brave.

As I lay there in the darkness, I'm not sure when I drifted to sleep. All I know was one minute I was listening to the hushed whispering outside the door and the next:

_This time I was flying over dense clouds. The sun shone down on me and I couldn't see a glimpse of anything for miles. Just blue skies and clouds for miles and miles in the distance. I was riding a heliscooter, which looked nothing like Snipe's monstrous motorbike. It was small and cute and…strangely familiar. I was wearing the uniform again. It was all so strange. And that's when I heard it._

_A muffled whooping came from the clouds beneath me and I could see the shadows of three skimmers underneath me. They burst up through the cloud cover and then back in again weaving a pattern fighting for a burnt out boiler crystal. I didn't say anything. I was afraid it would break the moment. I just watched._

_Then the Talons arrived. They came from nowhere swarming in their hundreds towards the shadows. One by one the voices stopped, the shadows disappeared and their names swirled somewhere in my memory. Something to do with fish, a scrap yard and a ship's navigation system. None of them made sense but when the last one faded away the Talons gave off a battle cry and faded away._

_One thought stirred in my memory and in the awful silence all I could do was struggle to remember. Arrow. That's all I could remember. Tears streamed down my face. I missed the whooping and the sound of the shadows playing and having fun. It was unfair that I couldn't remember. And it was unfair that they were gone. _

"Lark."

_Who said that? Who were they talking to?_

"Lark."

_Me. I was Lark. And I was with the Talons not with the strange and disrupting shadows. The memories that I had strived to find fell back into what felt like tar. Thick, black, unyielding. Let them stay there for all I care. _

"Lark, wake up this second. Master Cyclonis wishes to see you." Internally I groaned. Of all the people to find me when I had forgotten who I was and it had to be the bossy, know it all Ravess. She was such a pain in the neck. How did Master Cyclonis put up with her?

"Hello Ravess. It's three in the morning. Aren't I allowed to rest?"

"It's six o'clock, no and GET UP." Ravess then pushed me off the table and I landed on my ribs. She grabbed my hand and pulled me along like a toddler. "Master Cyclonis wishes to see you. She says it's urgent." She dragged me along the dark corridors and I wished for the fresh air that I had felt in my dream. My face turned bright red. How embarrassing it was that I had forgotten who I was.

As my face returned to normal, we walked into the throne room, Master Cyclonis was talking to the Dark Ace. He bowed and left. She turned to us.

"Ahh Lark, up at last?" I nodded and yawned. Ravess scowled at me.

"What did you wish to talk about?" I asked stifling another yawn.

"First I wish to apologize for the two rude awakenings you have received this morning." I grinned and looked at Ravess. She was livid.

"Secondly I'm afraid to say that the jail break was successful to a certain extent. They managed to liberate two Terra Rex engineers but they haven't found Piper yet so you needn't worry." I breathed out. One day I hoped to visit her and ask her about what happened. I couldn't if she escaped.

"Thirdly, I have some interesting news. The Dark Ace is leading an invasion force to Terra Neon. He should be gone for a week or two depending on how long the Sky Knights hang on to it. While he is gone, I thought it might be a good idea for you to take some Talon training with Ravess. She might help you to remember your previous training. After he has conquered the Terra maybe he will take over your training depending on how well you're doing."

I looked at Ravess and saw what the next one to two weeks had in store for me.

Crud.


	9. The Attack on Terra Neon

_Hey guys. Here's my next chapter piping hot and ready to read. But my reviewers you might want to read this first:_

_Booklover4177: Thank you again although the ending wasn't meant to be funny. She really is in trouble ;)_

_Alicat259: Straight 'B's though I have to wait two more weeks for my holiday :( Yeah he did have the surgery (I thought it was a bit more dramatic than him having contacts or dyeing his hair) Thanks I think the good luck helped_

_Gatomon Fan 7: You and Finn have something in common._

_Doilan: :O_

_Stork: You're right she is shocked._

_Me: thanks Stork. Anyway hmm…. Getting Aerrow to hurt his team because they have common sense. Maybe._

_Jenergy: You may come to regret saying that._

_Delphigirl689: Thanks._

_Rose: You must suffer so I don't have too. So is life. Thanks for the review._

_._

Aerrow's POV

As it turned out my sleep was dreamless but unfortunately short lived. The thing I woke up to was the sound of a startled Stork screaming down the intercom:

"Aerrow! Get to the cock-pit now. Harrier just called. He wants to talk to you, Aerrow. Hurry. Oh this is bad this is bad…" and he carried on repeating this is bad until he remembered to take his finger of the mike or he fainted. I hoped it was just the first one. I looked at Radarr who was just stretching He looked a lot better for a few hours sleep but he'd probably look even better if he got a bath.

"C'mon buddy. Sounds urgent," he raised an eyebrow at me but climbed on my shoulder. "Er Radarr, friendly suggestion. Go take a bath," he looked at me and it was clear what he was thinking. 'Make me'. "Fine but don't blame me when people start avoiding you," I meant it too. That Volka bat spit really stank. I ran into the cock-pit and grabbed the radio from a conscious Stork.

"Hey Harrier," I said. I was really not looking forward to what he had to say. Harrier rarely called for a five minute chat, more like an hour dictation.

"Good morning, Aerrow."

"Why'd you call? Something wrong," there was a rush of static on the other end of the radio like he was sighing.

"Well yes. But first of all thank you for saving out two engineers. I've sent two underlings to pick them out." Uh-oh. He's stalling. He really needs out help.

"What's wrong, Harrier?"

"Scouts near Terra Starome have spotted an invasion squad. A relatively small one but enough to take down an undefended Terra. And it's heading for Terra Atmosia." I thought about it for a second.

"Correction. They're heading to Terra Neon," suddenly Finn gasped. I hadn't realized he was even there until that moment.

"That's my favorite Terra. That's evil even for the Cylonians" ranted Finn. I tried to focus on what Harrier was saying.

"Yes that's what we suspected as well." _Yeah I bet_ I thought but kept quiet and just raised my eyebrow at Radarr. He shook his head in agreement.

"Anyway do you need our help?" Harrier paused. Although our teams were good friends with each other he still had trouble asking us for help.

"Well if you're anywhere near there…we might possibly benefit from your…assistance."

"Good enough for me," I said and turned to Stork, "How long will it take us to get to Terra Neon?" He looked at me and sighed.

"About an hour but we need to wait for Harriers underlings" he said putting air quotes on underlings. I shrugged my shoulders. I wonder if Harrier knew how obnoxious he was.

"So how are things with you and Piper?" asked Harrier from the radio. All of a sudden it felt like someone had carved me open. I had forgotten he was still on the radio. I didn't know what to say.

"Make sure your … underling hurries up. We'll be there as soon as we can," said Finn taking the mike and hung up. I was sick of Finn taking charge. Wasn't he the one who always messed up and I was the one who had to look after him? When had the natural order of things been reversed?

"Thanks Finn" was all I could manage to say. Her name was still jabbing me. Suddenly I couldn't wait for this mission to come. Anything to make me forget that name for a while.

Thirty minutes later

The 'underlings' aka some new recruits to The Rex Guardians managed to pick up the engineers and we had arrived at Terra Neon. The whole Terra had been evacuate, all the lights turned off and it was quiet. For the first time since Terra Neon had opened it was silent and Finn was fuming.

"How could they do this? This is like the best Terra ever. Why do they ever want it? I can't imagine Cyclonis opening it up for the Dark Ace's birthday," and on he rambled until an annoyed Dove told him to stop but he had a point. Why did Cyclonis want this Terra? It wasn't a strategic point in the middle of Sky Knight territory and there were no rare crystals just a couple of engine crystals and they were nothing special.

But I never got a chance to finish that thought because the black smudge on the horizon had just gotten bigger. Individual shapes could now be made out. The Talons were almost here.

"Okay guys. Here's the plan. Finn, Junko, Radarr and I'll take down the Talons. The Rex Guardians and Starling will meet us there. I'll talk to Starling about sabotaging the ships. Stork you try and knock any of their ships out of the sky. And Dove you stay here and try to keep in contact with the others in case of trouble." Internally I flinched. That last one was Piper's job. "Okay, let's go," I said and ran down to my skimmer. Radarr jumped on my shoulder and grinned at me. 'Let's do this'.

Once we were out there we spotted Starling to out right with the Rex Guardians behind her. Radarr waved at her and I swerved over to talk to her.

"How many Talons are we looking at?" I asked.

"Hello to you too," she said. Usually that was one of the things I liked about Starling, she was sarcastic to the end but I wasn't in the mood today.

"Yeah hi, how many Talons?" She sighed.

"About two hundred or so with four ships and no Nightcrawlers thank the Atmos thought there is a rumour going round that the Dark Ace is there. You want to take him on or shall I?" I smiled.

"I'll take care of the Dark Ace. Can you get rid of those ships?" She raised her eyebrow. "Okay, stupid question. Do you mind if Junko helps? He can take care of the guards." She nodded. I pulled back to talk to Junko.

"Hey big guy. Do you think that you could help Starling take down some ships?"

"Yeah sure Aerrow. But can you keep an eye on Finn in case his skimmer gets shot down again?" I chuckled.

"Not a problem big guy." Then I saw him and I tensed. The growling next to me told me that Radarr had noticed him too. The Dark Ace leading so many Talons the patch of sky they were in looked black.

I could vaguely hear the sound of the Rex Guardians swooping in to battle on their slightly outdated skimmers, Finn shooting of arrows and the sound of the Condor's horn as Stork emerged shooting at the ships. But most of my attention was focused on the Dark Ace. We rammed each other slashing and stabbing looking for weakness. Then he said something that almost got me killed.

"Your girlfriend makes a brilliant Talon," he said making a stab under my guard. I blocked it but it was almost too late. His blade was a centimeter away from my ribcage. Behind him, Cyclonians were falling out of the sky like flies while most of the Rex Guardians were still on their original rides and Finn was still on his ride shooting down two Talons at a time and three of the four ships were smoking and heading to the Wastelands. Junko, Stork and Starling had made scrap metal out of them.

"Where is she? What have you done?" I slashed furiously emphasizing each word with a slash at his sword. He deflected them with obvious ease.

"That's for me to know and for you to never know," he said with that annoying smirk on his face. Then I did something stupid that almost gave Radarr a heart attack. I trod on the skimmer controls making it swerve hard left and took out his engine with one slash. He deployed his wings and looked around for a Talon on a skimmer so he could steal the skimmer. Too bad all of them were in the Wastelands along with the last ship. He roared in rage and swooped of. I flew after him but before I could catch him one surviving Talon caught him on there skimmer and they swooped off. Okay all the Talons except for one.

Finn (on his own skimmer at the end of a battle for the first time in months), Junko and Starling looked extremely pleased with themselves. The Rex Guardians were poised as if it was only to be expected they would win. But I felt like a loser because the Dark Ace was gone and my worst fears had been confirmed. Piper was a Talon. Worse, apparently she was a good one.

I needed to find Piper and I needed to know why she was working with the Cyclonians. I also needed to get rid of the Rex Guardians before Harrier caught me in a conversation. Just then Dove announced over the Condors radio,

"Rex Guardians, someone from Terra Rex called saying that they have been pranked again. Someone filled the engineers' helmets with sky krill and they have been intercepted by the Leviathan." I shivered. How unlucky could you be? Captured by the Cyclonians and then attacked by a monster the size of a Terra. These guys had some major bad luck.

The Rex Guardians flew over to Terra Rex without so much as a wave goodbye and Starling flew home sensing that we needed to go. Dove was waiting for us in the hanger.

"You owe me one," she said as soon as we landed.

"Why?"

"The Leviathan hasn't been near Terra Rex in years. Your radio was on when you fought the Dark Ace. You need to find Piper." I looked at Radarr. The look on his face told me how the radio had remained on.

"Thanks Dove. Lets go get Piper back."

Third Person view

In the shadowy Cyclonia, the Dark Ace walked up smiling to Master Cyclonis. She was working on her crystal machine and didn't even look up.

"You were successful?"

"Yes."

_Sorry I know this chapter is horrible and the worst I have ever done since I began writing but the next one will be better I promise (damn milkshake!) Sorry about there being no Lark next chapter will be devoted to her and the training I just didn't want the milkshake to ruin it._


	10. The Plan and The Fight

_Hurray. Thanks to Doilan and Milkshake Anonymous I have been cured and written a half-decent chapter. Thanks to all of my reviewers for being so supportive about my worst chapter yet. Hope this makes up for it. Now then to my deprived reviewers:_

_Gatomon Fan 7: You may be on to something there. In fact I bet that was one of the reasons that the Dark Ace attacked Terra Neon when he got that freaky suit of armour. Because he likes the rides. How could I be so stupid? *facepalm*_

_Doilan: Maybe. Can't tell you it would spoil the surprise. Thanks for understanding about the milkshake predicament and help me get over my addiction._

_Jenergy: Thanks. I hope you like this one too._

_Diehardstormhawksfan: …wow! Thanks that's really nice of you. I don't deserve such good reviewers. _

_Ali: Thanks for agreeing with me. No-one else seems to agree with me. ;D. Seriously though thanks for being honest. Fighting scenes are really hard to do and I'm sorry if it seemed rushed._

_Delphigirl689: Cool! I gave someone chills. That's a first for me. _

_Rose: You should get a padlock or something for your door. I'm still looking for PB1. And I think you and I both know that if the Rex Guardians are smart they won't bring it up. _

Aerrow's POV

I can't see Cyclonia. All I can see is the lava beneath the Condor swirling. An adventure waiting to happen. That's what it looks like to me but to Stork it spells certain doom like most things. He's really shaky because he hates the Wastelands. It's his number one place to die before you see because of the scorpions and the lava snakes and the molten rivers…basically he hates everything in it. But even he appreciates that to get to Cyclonia without being seen we had to go undercover. Emphasis on under.

"Aerrow, can you get in here before you're eaten. We need to go over this plan," Dove said although a better word may be ordered. And I thought Finn was getting bad. I sighed and walked in.

"Okay," I looked around the room. Finn was sneaking another glance at Dove, Dove was pretending not to notice, Stork was shaking, Junko was fingering with something metal and Radarr was rolling his eyes at Finn from my shoulder. "Here's the plan. Stork, you and the Condor will have to stay here where it's safe and make sure you're not seen by Cyclonians."

"Stay down here in the Wastelands where IT'S SAFE" panicked Stork.

"Or you could go up to the Cyclonians ands see what kind of greeting they give you," said Dove and Stork crossed his arms.

"Good point," he admitted grudgingly. I turned to Finn and Junko.

"You two are going to have to get into the supply dock and cause as much mayhem as you can. I don't care how you do it just make sure they are preoccupied but try not to get caught. Stick to the plan. I mean it. Last time you deviated from the plan, you almost got yourselves killed by Cyclonis." Finn puffed out his chest.

"Not a problem, dude," he said but you could still hear a quaver of fear in his voice. His eyes never left Dove but she was looking at me.

"What about me?" asked Dove.

"Since you and Piper were good friends, I think you have just as good a chance of getting her to snap out of it or to tell you why she's a Cyclonian," I said but I didn't fully believe it. From the look on Dove's face she didn't either but she nodded and I carried on. "Radarr, you'll go with Dove." He looked at me like I'd kicked him. "Sorry buddy but I think Dove needs your protection more than me," I hoped he understood that I just didn't want him to get hurt and not that I was abandoning him. Radarr rolled his eyes at me and nodded. He didn't look offended. How could anyone mistake him for a pet? He was a lot better at catching on then Finn was.

"We'll meet back at the Condor. Stork, you can't leave here without everyone unless Dove or I tell you in which case we'll probably have bigger problems. Okay let's do this." _"Don't worry Piper. We're coming."_ I added in my head.

Lark's POV

I hate Ravess. That may seem a bit extreme considering that I've only been learning Sky Fu from here for a week but she is a perfectionist and a jerk which is not a good combination. She makes me do the very basics over and over again for hours until I make a mistake and then she makes up some weird punishment for it

One time, she made me wash all of the Talons muddy boots with my toothbrush for a week because I was a millimeter of on my High Jump Kick. Another time she gave me the fattest Talon ever and made me flip him over my shoulder. Which I did but it was on the wrong shoulder so she made me do fifty pushups. And the Talon as well which I thought was a bit unfair but he needed the exercise. And I can't prove it but I think it was her who waxed the floor when I was practicing Running, Jumping and Kicking. I still have the bruises to show for it.

The worst thing of all is that she either listens to classical music at full blast while I'm practicing or she practices her own violin very loudly. Don't get me wrong she is very talented but it makes it hard to focus when she is playing and she has the worst taste in classical music. Amazingly enough she is still looking for minor slipups while she's playing or listening with the eyes of the hawk. Literally (she has yellow eyes).

Anyway today I am going to be tested by the Dark Ace to see if I'm worthy enough to be taught by him and good enough to stop being taught be Ravess. I was warming up when Ravess walked in.

"You probably think you're going to pass this because you're Master Cyclonis's little curiosity."

"Hi to you too, Ravess." Not letting her get to me.

"Insolent little-"

"Yeah, that's me. Now are you here to watch or are you going to leave?" _Please say leave, please say leave._

"Oh I'm staying to watch you crash and burn," _Damn it!_

"Whatever." Great, now I was being watched by Cyclonis's best Talon and the world's biggest pain in the butt. Could today get any worse? Just then Master Cyclonis walked in followed by the Dark Ace. I guess it could.

"I hope you don't mind Lark but I want to see how you're progressing," said Master Cyclonis.

"Not at all, Master Cyclonis," I said. Ravess and the Dark Ace rolled their eyes in unison. "So what do you want to test me on first, Dark Ace?" I asked. He stepped forward and I couldn't help thinking how on Atmos this absurdly skinny man could be the most feared and the only unbeaten Talon ever.

"So we can get this over quickly, I've decided that if you can impress me in one-to-one combat then you can be taught by me. If not then you stay with Ravess," he said. Suddenly I was really nervous. How was I going to impress the Dark Ace in hand-to-hand combat if I'd only just learned the basics?

I didn't get much time to think about it because just then the Dark Ace lunged at me. I dodged out of the way and tried to hit him on the left side of his face. He sidestepped and threw a quick punch at my stomach. I wasn't fast enough to block it but it didn't hurt that much. It just winded me a little but for the second that I was hunched over the Dark Ace grabbed my arm and flung me over his shoulder.

The whole of my back quaked with the impact on the floor but I got up as quickly as I could and moved to the left. I was just in time to stop him grabbing me. Who knows what he would have done next? He started to circle me like a Blood-Hyde beast that's found a wounded animal. That's when I realized. He was just playing with me. This was just some joke to him. See how long it took to pummel the life out of me.

I don't know whether it was the humiliation that I was having my butt kicked in front of Master Cyclonis, the frustration that the Dark Ace wasn't even sweating yet and I was bruised all over or the sheer horror that if I failed this test I would be stuck with Ravess again but something inside my mind lit up. I could remember my old moves. Suddenly I was the one with an advantage.

But something about these memories felt different like they were imperfect and didn't fit right in my head. Something about them didn't make sense but I didn't have time to think about it. I waited until the Dark Ace was behind me and then when I knew he was about to charge again, I jumped. I sailed over his head, landed behind him and landed a kick in his ribs for good measure.

He turned around, confused. I smiled. He hadn't been expecting that. This time he remained still waiting for me to attack with a calculating look on his face. Now I would have to be clever about this. I pretended to try to sweep his feet out from underneath him and he jumped like I knew he would. I grabbed his leg, swung him around and then let go.

He fell against the floor and smashed into the wall behind him. Amazingly he was able to get up. Now he was mad whether at himself for missing such an obvious trick or at me for throwing him against the wall I couldn't tell but I could guess. As I braced myself for his retaliation, Master Cyclonis raised her hands and clapped slowly and silently but the message was clear. This fight was over.

"Well, Lark that was very good for someone with only basic knowledge," said Master Cyclonis, smiling at me. For the first time, I felt uneasy when she smiled at me. It was like she was examining me as if I was a test subject. Then something strange happened. I stifled the urge to tell her that I had reclaimed my memories and said,

"Yes, well Ravess showed me the basics and I practiced some extra moves after class," I said wondering if she would buy it, "I didn't want to be helpless if the Storm Hawks found me again." Not strictly true. I had a paralyzer Crystal and a high grade firebolt crystal stored safely in a pouch around my neck. I had got rid of the lapis lazuli. I didn't like it very much and it left an empty feeling around my neck.

"You work to hard, Lark," smiled Master Cyclonis, "Maybe you should go for a walk. Ravess, the Dark Ace and I will discuss what we thought of your performance and decide whether you are ready for the Dark Ace's tuition." I nodded, trying not to smile. That sounded like a yes to me.

Dark Ace's POV

I watched Piper leave the training room. As soon as she was gone, Ravess started gabbling questions at Master Cyclonis like some chicken that had been kicked. She wouldn't have stopped but Master Cyclonis raised her hand.

"Dark Ace, should I be worried about you being beaten by children?" Master Cyclonis said, smiling. Ravess was grinning like a lunatic. I was never going to hear the end of this.

"She took me by surprise, Master. Next time she will not be so lucky."

"I hope not and as punishment for losing, you will take over her training. But for now there are more important things to worry about. The plan Piper told us about under hypnosis has come into effect. The blonde boy and the Wallop have been seen heading for the cargo bay. The Condor has been located at the blind spot" I had to laugh at this. We no longer had blind spots "and Aerrow and one of the Rebel Ducks are now searching the corridors for their little friend."

"You're plan is working then, Master," said Ravess with that stupid, strained voice she puts on when she is simultaneously trying to please Master Cyclonis and thinking how she could do it better. Master Cyclonis ignored her as usual.

"Dark Ace, follow her. Make sure her guests are greeted in the proper fashion" she ordered and I nodded. I followed the sound of her footsteps down the corridor. All that was left was for him to find her.

Piper's POV

I walked along the corridors, thinking that nothing could spoil this day. And then out of the darkness, a boy appeared. He was about my age and he looked harmless but I recognised him from the description from the other Talons. I was staring eye to eye with Aerrow, the leader of the Storm Hawks, the very person who had ordered my torture and taken away my memories. And all he could say was,

"Piper?"

Wait! What?


	11. The Dark Ace saves Lark?

_Hey guys. Great to be over my milkshake addiction though this chapter is defiantly not one of my best. Stay with me though it's kind of important for the rest of the plotline. Anyway, to my reviewers:_

_Delphigirl: Hope you enjoy this. Sorry it took so long._

_Ali: Yes, but you're the world's nicest hypocrite. Admit it. You love cliffies really. Thank by the ways. It's good to be back._

_Rose: You're still more evil than me *cough* but not for long. Anyway have fun even though you probably won't read this until you're gone. _

_Jenergy: I updated ASAP. No more whining please. That's Finn's job._

_Finn: Hey!_

_LostLyra: Good to have you back. _

_Doilan: Thanks, it was my best fight scene yet. Here's your next installment._

_Gato: I think we both know the answer to that._

Aerrow's POV

There she was, not five feet away from me and for some reason, she was still far away. She was Piper; there was no doubt about it. No-one had her chestnut skin or her dark blue hair but she looked different. She was wearing the Talon's green and red and as if Cyclonis had a sense of humour, there were orange patches like on her old armour. She wasn't wearing her crystal necklace.

Worst of all were her eyes. They weren't the soft, amber I remembered. They were a hard, cold orange-red that reminded me of the Dark Ace's eyes. Full of hate, spite and anger without a hint of compassion that Piper had always had from the moment I first met her.

"What are you doing here?" she spat at me.

"Looking for you," I said, taking a tiny step forward. It was a mistake. A flicker of fear ran across the whole of her face and she leapt forward, trying to punch me. I grabbed her arm before she could give me a black eye. "What's wrong?"

"You DARE ask ME what's WRONG?" she yelled and I listened hard for Talon footsteps but there weren't any. I was a little bit angry. I had not come all this way to be shouted at for trying to help her. I held my temper in check. This was still Piper.

"Piper, c'mon, it's me Aerrow," I said as calmly as I could. "You can tell me what's wrong."

Lark's POV

I was going to kill him. I'm sure Master Cyclonis wouldn't mind. She was always saying how inferior the sky knights were compared to her Talons. One less sky knight out there wouldn't even catch her attention. I struggled to get loose of his hold but he held on to my arm with a grip of steel. Still I got the feeling that if he wanted to hurt me, he could have by now. I dismissed the thought. He was a coward. He probably needed his friends to help him torture an innocent Talon.

"Piper, c'mon, it's me Aerrow. You can tell me what's wrong." I was going to hang him from the ceiling and get the Talons to use him for target practice. How dare he taunt me by calling me his old teammate's name. As if I would ever become a Storm Hawk.

"I'm not Piper. My name is Lark. Your precious Piper is rotting in the dungeons. You'll never see her again and she will never see the light of day," I said and I wished I had a camera with me. His face was priceless. It was all there. Hurt, torment, betrayal. All the things that he deserved.

Aerrow's POV

For a second, I wasn't sure. What if this wasn't Piper? Cyclonis had done freakier things than making a clone of Piper and calling it Lark. Or Piper could have another doppelganger. After Princess Peregrine anything is possible. But then when I mentioned Piper's name, I noticed that she was clutching at air near the base of her neck.

Piper had always done that; it was like a nervous twitch. Whenever she was thinking hard about something, she always stroked her crystal necklace. And now it wasn't there anymore.

"What are you trying to hold on to?" I asked. Startled, she looked down. Then she just got angrier.

"None of your business!" she yelled and brought out a firebolt crystal from somewhere. That proved it. This must be Piper. She was always carrying crystals in case she was attacked. But she had never attacked me before.

"Pi…" The crystal glowed and I corrected myself, "Lark, what are you doing here?"

"Like you don't know."

"Would you believe me if I said that I really have no clue what you're talking about?"

"No."

"Well tell me anyway."

Lark's POV

It was the stupidest thing that I have ever done since I woke up in Cyclonia but looking at him, I realized how much I just wanted to tell someone what had happened to me. How confused I was and how strange Master Cyclonis became with every passing day. Okay, maybe I should just tell him the first bit.

"I'm here because of you. You and your idiotic band of Storm Hawks tortured me for Cyclonian information until I was so traumatized that I forgot everything. Then the Dark Ace brought me back here so that Master "he flinched when I said this for some reason" Cyclonis could heal me." He looked confused.

"We never did any of that. To anyone, Atomosian or Cyclonian. Pi…" I swung the crystal under his nose. He looked more annoyed that scare "Oh for…Lark then. If you don't remember anything how do you know any of that?"

"So you did torture me?"

"No. I just said that." He looked surprisingly calm for someone with a firebolt crystal under his nose and then been accused for attacking someone. "Don't change the subject. How did you come up with all that stuff?"

"I didn't come up with it. Master Cyclonis told me. She saved me along with the Dark Ace. They took a defenseless girl with no memory, they helped me remember my crystal training then they let me work on some projects and they never stopped working on a way to get my memory back with hypnosis sessions." He raised his eyebrow.

"How convenient. So you only remember your crystal training?" I nodded, defiant. If I wasn't going to tell Master Cyclonis about my new fighting moves I certainly wouldn't tell Storm Hawk scum. "Have you ever thought that you might only remember your crystal training because it's convenient to them?" He locked eyes with me and I couldn't help that his eyes were the colour of light shining through the underside of a leaf. "When was the last time you had a hypnosis session to get your memory back?"

I thought about it. "It has been a while. But we've been busy."

"With what?"

"Now, now Lark. Don't give away all our secrets." Oh no. I recognised that voice. I didn't take my eyes of Aerrow for a moment.

"Dark Ace," I said "How nice of you to join us."

Aerrow's POV

It wasn't the fact that the Dark Ace had emerged from the shadows that bothered me. Dove and Radarr were standing a few feet behind him. I told them with my eyes to be quiet. Radarr nodded and Dove seemed frozen in place. The firebolt crystal was getting annoying. It was still stuck under my chin.

"So I heard that a doughnut truck had been turned over in the cargo bay and I said to myself what Talon wouldn't be careful with doughnuts. You might as well have sent us a letter, Aerrow," Piper rolled her eyes. At least, she still didn't think his banter was any good.

"You might want to lay off the doughnuts, Dark Ace," I said and Piper stifled a smile. I grinned at her and she scowled at me. Oh well at least it was progress.

"So Aerrow, what brings you here? Do you just come to prank us or do you want to start torturing poor Lark here because she looks like your captured girlfriend?" I scowled at him and snatched a glance at Piper. She looked calm like she had known it all along but her eyes were full with some emotion I couldn't make out. Pity? Anger? It was hard to tell. "But since you're here, there's something that I want to show you." He brought out a crystal from his pocket. I could see right through it to where Lark was standing stunned. Obviously this was a powerful crystal.

"Dark Ace, is it such a good idea to show that to the enemy?" asked Piper. I was hurt. She thought I was the enemy?

"Oh he's not leaving. If he runs you'll just get him with that firebolt crystal won't you?" She looked at me with a look of steel.

"Yes."

"Well, then there's not harm in showing him this, it there?" He looked at the crystal for a moment and I was scared that he would see Dove and Radarr in the reflection. He didn't. He pulled out his sword from its holder and slotted in the crystal. Pure, dark red flames shot up the side of it and then he brought it down on the wall of the corridor. There was a hiss as the sword cut through steel.

He pulled it out of the wall and I stole a glance at it. He hadn't just melted the steel. The rock behind it lay in a small puddle of molten steel and lava at the bottom of the wall. Behind him, Dove drew out her crystal staff. She brought it to face the Dark Ace back…and then she swung it round so that it was aimed at the back of Piper's head. Dove held up three fingers. I tried to shake my head but it was difficult to move without her being seen.

Dove put down one of her finger. Two seconds. I looked at Piper. Hadn't Dove realized who it was? One finger. One second. Don't ask me why I did it but I couldn't see her hurt.

"Lark, look out," I said and she turned around. The Dark Ace looked at me and then I realized just how bad things were. The Dark Ace pulled up his sword and swung it towards Piper. I watched and knew what I had to do. I had just enough to say one thing.

"Run Dove!"

Lark's POV

Aerrow's accomplice disappeared. She looked like she had been about to hit me with a wind stone. If he hadn't warned me I could have been thrown against the wall and my head would have cracked open. I turned back to face Aerrow. But he had moved.

He was in between the Dark Ace and I with the Dark Ace's blade was sticking out of his side. He was kneeling in pain. I swallowed the urge to be sick. Blood was pouring from his wound.

"Are you alright, Lark?" asked the Dark Ace.

"Why did you do that?" I asked, angry for some reason. He scowled at me.

"Ungrateful girl. I saved your life. He was about to grab the firebolt crystal from you and shoot you when I stopped him," I sagged slightly. The Dark Ace had saved me. Yes that was right. But something didn't make sense. I would think about it later.

"Come on, let's get him to the infirmary," I said picking him up by the arms and starting to drag him. The Dark Ace sheathed his sword and then picked up his legs.

"Thanks," I said and he nodded. This was no time to get emotional.

Dove's POV

Tears were streaming down my cheeks and I was gasping for air as I ran. Radarr hadn't moved on my shoulder. It was like he was made of stone, shocked by what he had seen. Didn't Aerrow understand that Piper was gone? She was holding a firebolt crystal under his chin! How could he have missed that! One way or another he wasn't fit for command anymore.

"But we need him back," I whispered as I grabbed my skimmer. Aerrow had never abandoned me even when I had accused him of stealing. We would be back. If we were going to rescue him, we needed a plan. And I can only think of one person good enough. I landed in the hanger bay. Finn and Junko were waiting. When they saw that Aerrow wasn't there, Finn started to ask me something but I switched on the intercom system,

"Stork, we need to leave. NOW!" I nodded to the guys to follow me and walked towards the cock-pit as we took off and left Aerrow behind. We needed help and there was only one place where we could find it.

Terra Atmosia.

_And so the cliffhangers continue. Sorry guys but I am evil (according to Rose). _


	12. White Hell and Derek the Guard

_Hey guys. The cliffe ends here (for now)._

_Whisperthewolf: Good to see you again. I continued as soon as I could. Sorry about all the cliffhangers but they are the best twist in a story._

_Gato: Hope you're feeling better. Can't wait for an update. Keep writing, _

_Doilan: Do you have a soundtrack for every occasion? Yeah you found a mistake. Congratulations! Tell me what your last idea for what's going to happen to Aerrow, please._

_Ali: I am evil. :D Shh… You cannot tell the others. Aww. Thank you. You are sooo nice and evil. Wait does that make sense?_

_Delphigirl689: Here's what happened next. And as for Piper's memories they aren't going anywhere yet. _

_Jenergy: I did but you might want to read the AN at the bottom. And then please don't kill me. _

_Rose: I updated as soon as I could. And when you do read the bit at the end I think it's fair to say it won't concern you._

Aerrow's POV

I thought hell was supposed to be red and fiery. Once upon a time I thought it was dark and silent. Right now, it's white and sterilized. Half way between life and death, all I can do is lay here, helpless and wait for visitors.

Lark's POV

As I sat on my skimmer, wearing a cloak over my Talon uniform, heading into the middle of enemy territory to rescue two people I had never heard of from the most heavily guarded prison imaginable, I thought about half an hour ago when Master Cyclonis had personally picked me for the job.

**About half an hour ago**

**I walked into the throne room with a sense of apprehension. There was no doubt that by now Master Cyclonis had heard about the hostage situation from the Dark Ace, with emphasis on the fact that I had a sky knight at my mercy and told him my life story. That was bothering me. Why had I told him? Better yet why had he saved me? Possibly guilt but my gut told me that was wrong. Another hard truth was bothering me but I pushed it down into the darkest depths of my mind.**

"**Lark," said Master Cyclonis with a smile on her face. Although it was probably supposed to be comforting, it gave me the feeling that I was being dissected by her. "I have a mission for you."**

"**Really?" I said, trying not to sound surprised. I failed.**

**Master Cyclonis laughed. "You must be thinking of your blunder with the sky knight."**

"**Yes, Master," I said not surprised that she had guessed that. It didn't take a genius to guess that. Still she seemed proud she had guessed and it reminded me of someone. Blonde hair, girly screams… maybe a five year old girl? I tried to remember but Master Cyclonis started talking again.**

"**It was your first time under extreme stress," **_**I wasn't that stressed **_**I thought but I kept on nodding. As long as Master Cyclonis thought she was right she was happy. "Don't let it happen again." Those five simple words held great power and I nodded again. I was turning into another Talon bobble head. **

"**What were you saying about a mission?" I asked, trying to deflect Master Cyclonis's stare. **

"**To prove that you are finally ready to step up to your full responsibilities as Commander, I want you to rescue a fallen sky knight named Carver and an archeologist named Domowick from the high security, Atmosian Stockade. " I gulped, even I had heard of the Atmosian Stockade where escape was virtually impossible. Then I thought of all the perks that came with being a commander.**

"**I'll have them back in no time," I said. Cyclonis smiled.**

"**I'm sure you will."**

I'd never heard of Domowick or Carver but both names stirred something in my memory. Every so often, I would get a flash of fuzzy pictures. A blonde haired boy that squealed like pig, a large Wallop sleeping with a teddy, a merb reading from a black book and a blue squirrel/monkey that must be somebody's pet.

I didn't hold back these memories for two reasons. The first was that the squirrel/monkey thing was really cute. And the second was that I felt happy whenever I remembered them. These were my friends (maybe) but I hadn't seen them on Cyclonia recently. They must be on a mission or posted somewhere else.

I forced myself to focus. The misty peaks of Atmosia weren't far away and I had a mission to do. From studying ridiculously old maps of Atmosia, I'd found a huge hill where I could hide my skimmer. Something about landing made me feel better. Getting on this thing made me long for the heli-scooter of my dreams. For some reason as soon as I'd mounted I felt dizzy and sick.

I landed and felt the instant relief of being on land again. I hid the skimmer in the bushes knowing that by the time some sky knight simpleton found it, it would be far too late. I pulled up my hood and walked into the sunny town of Atmosia. It was late afternoon and small children were playing hopscotch on the side walks while their parents watched.

Two boys were sparring with bit of cardboard. Another foggy image rose to the top of my memory. The Dark Ace fighting Aerrow with a look of anger on his face. He was obviously losing. What a surprise! But I was happy about it. I pushed the feeling away. I had won a bet against one of the other Talons. That was it. I wasn't happy that the sky knight was beating him. I was happy that I was getting out of kitchen duty.

I walked up to the stockade. It was a grey stone with thick iron doors. I knocked on the door. A guard opened the door.

"Hello?" he said but a quick jab to the Solar Plexus stopped him from saying anything else. It was ridiculously easy to drag him off and take his uniform (red and grey, yuck!). I walked down the corridor clutching the energy blade that I had swiped from the guard. How I longed for one of the Talon's staffs.

I turned a corridor in the labyrinth of steel corridors wondering what to do next. Part of the test had been that I have no idea what Domowick or Carver looked like. As I turned around a left corner, I spotted two guards walking towards me. Luckily I saw them before they saw them. I ducked into the shadows. They were talking about something. I listened carefully as they walked by.

"Yeah, Carver was my hero, man. And now I have to guard him like some kind of petty criminal." His mate snorted.

"Yeah because they send petty criminals to the best prison on the Atmos and never anyone dangerous." The other guard sighed.

"Yeah but it feels wrong if you know what I mean. And next door to him is Domowick. I've had enough with him. 'The food's lousy.' 'My bunks lumpy.' Cry me a river. That's what you get when you sell out to the Cyclonians."

"Tough luck, Derek." Suddenly I had an idea. I walked around the corridor.

"Um…do you guys know a guy called Derek?" I asked trying to sound like a shy new guard. One of the guards turned around. He had deep brown eyes and hair. No helmet or goggles. And this is supposed to be their top prison. Sky scouts with water pistols could take out these guards.

"Yeah I'm Derek."

"The warden said you were going to show my round." He raised his eyebrow.

"Really?" I nodded and he sighed. "Great I get stuck with the new recruits again! When is warden gonna give me a break." The other guard patted his shoulder and left. It was just Derek and me. I reached into my pocket and felt the reassuring lump of the Hypnosis crystal I had been allowed to bring.

"So where first?" I asked.

"I guess the cells. I show you my two prisoners and you can look after them for a bit." I nodded, trying to look excited. "Follow me." He showed me down yet more corridors, several of which had doors that were guarded by two or more guards. Suddenly this didn't seem so easy.

Finally we walked into a room with two cells in it. On the left was a man wearing sun hat with bronze skin and several gold rings on his fingers. When he smiled at me I saw that he had a gold tooth as well. What a joke. On the right was a man with spiked blonde hair and chiseled features. He was wearing the same armour as me except it had a symbol on the front that I couldn't place. He glared at me with golden eyes and I have to admit my heart skipped a beat. He was incredibly handsome.

"Morning Derek," said the one on the right.

"Morning Carver," Derek said, reverently. I stayed silent with my poker face on.

"Yes hello guard whathisface," said the one of the left who could only be Domowick. Derek ignored him. He nodded to me and left. I listened at the door to make sure he was gone. When I couldn't hear footsteps anymore, I turned to the two prisoners.

"Morning, Piper," Carver said. I was insulted.

"My name's not Piper. My name is Lark and I'm here to bust you guys out." Both men raised their eyebrows in unison. "Look you can ask questions later. Time to leave." I raised the guard's energy blade above my head and swung it at Carver's door.

"Wait, don't-"Carver started to say but it was too late. I cut through the lock on the door and a klaxon went off. "Nice one sweetheart. The doors are alarmed." In a situation like that I could say one thing,

"Don't call me sweetheart."

Aerrow's POV

As I lay there waiting for someone to come, I turned my head. I was laying in there medical ward. To my left and right, two bandaged Talons groaned. It was annoying listening to them but I couldn't afford to waste energy to tell then to shut up. I heard a faint humming and I looked up. Above me there was a violet crystal that looked familiar…

"You must remember that, Aerrow," said someone behind me with a mocking voice. I didn't look away from the crystal. I didn't need to. It was Master Cyclonis. "I punished Ravess severely for losing all those leachers." Leachers? What was it doing here?

"Since you can't figure it out because of your almost embarrassing amount of crystal knowledge I suppose I'll have to tell you. Your girlfriend or rather my Talon crystal expert tuned that crystal so that it would drain energy from other crystals. What she didn't see was the dazzling side effect. It drains energy from people as well. With so many around it was unnoticeable but when the Talons came to take them away from our lab and store them, most of them fell into comas." She laughed at that like it was the best joke she had ever heard. Then again the Talons are the biggest joke I've ever seen.

"Anyway I realized that you would come looking for your dear Piper and predictably you used the plan that she gave you which she told us all about." I could feel all my strength slowly draining into the purple crystal above. I had just enough energy left to say,

"Piper… not remember…why?" I was really drained and that was all I could manage. I turned to face her. Behind her I could see her faithful lapdog, the Dark Ace.

"Oh, you'll find out in due time, Aerrow. But in the mean time I leave you in the capable hands of the Dark Ace." She walked away and the Dark Ace smiled.

"Pick him up," he barked to two nearby Talons "It's time.

_Now one cliffie is bad but two is…..what I'm leaving you with until Thursday maybe Friday because I'm going to be in France with my school. *runs away* See you. Oh and I hid all the pitchforks and flaming torches. Gotta run._


	13. Escape and Decipt

_Hey guys good to be back. I loved France even though it did rain while we were at Europa land (it had three mega coasters and a whole country dedicated to chocolate =) ) Anyway to my normal readers this gets weird. To my reviewers:_

_M-R-D: I knew there was something I meant to do before I left. Ah well. Still you can't hate me forever._

_LoveEviYami: Hi. Cool avatar. And yes you can. I love doing cliffhangers and questions in my stories but I hate it when Doilan or M-R-D put them in their stories. And plz don't chase me. _

_Ali: Thank you. I worked hard to get that rep. Noo. Don't eliminate the nice. If you do no more chapters. And believe me this is going to be one hell of a cliffe._

_Booklover4177: That would be telling._

_Whisper: Yes congrats on getting rid of us and all that. I can admit we were jerks. I would just like to make this official. I am a hypocrite too. So is Ali and Yami. Go figure._

_Delphigirl689: I don't think you do._

_Jenergy: Finally. Someone who likes me cliffies._

_Doilan: Why was it a bad move by Cyclonis (you want to see a real bad move from Cyclonis? Read on)?_

_Gato: Technically isn't France the country of French. I am lucky. And one day when you are a famous writer you can go there, Be patient._

Lark's POV

The alarm seemed to get even louder as I cut through Domowick's door. Quickly both of them got out of their cells. I tried to stay calm. There must be a way out of here. The cell block was pretty basic. There was the door that Derek and I had come through and the two cells side by side. The cells were lit by sunlight from the barred windows.

"I have an idea," I said and ran forward towards the wall with my stolen crystal blade. It cut through the cement wall like scissors through paper. I cut a hole in the wall as quickly as I could, working hard to cut through the wall. Finally I managed to cut a reasonable sized hole. I pushed the concrete slab away from me and it fell about a meter before cracking on the pavement.

"Come on," I said. Both men looked at each other doubtfully but then we could hear footsteps getting closer and closer. "Any time now would be good," I said and I jumped down. Admittedly falling three meters on to concrete is not exactly painless but at least we were out. I heard two thuds behind me.

"So what now?" asked Domowick.

"Working on it," I said.

"How about we take the skimmers?" said Carver, pointing to two silver skimmers. How could I have missed that? We ran up. I sat behind Carver on one and Domowick took the other. I looked back to see the look on the guards faces. But I didn't see the guards. I saw a blonde boy and a wallop. A very familiar blonde boy and wallop.

"No," I whispered but I think it was drowned out by the wind whipping by me. Carver looked back at me and then saw what I was looking at. It may have been my imagination but he smiled a little.

"Well, it looks like the Storm Hawks have come to see us off. Aerrow must be fuming." I smiled.

"There's not a lot Aerrow can do about it. He's back at Cyclonia. Now can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, what?"

"Who is that blonde boy and wallop at the prison?" Both men smiled at each other sharing a private joke. I didn't get it.

"That's Finn and Junko from the Storm Hawks. They're minor annoyances nothing for you to worry about. If we have Aerrow there's no one left to worry about."

_Famous last words _I thought as we sped off. Then something in my head clicked. And I remembered something. Something very disturbing.

Aerrow's POV

As I was being dragged along by the guards I could slowly fell dregs of my strength surfacing again. I think soon I would be able to stand on my own. At the very least I might be able to fight them off when they tried to tie me up or take down the Dark Ace if he was planning to fight me.

The Dark Ace was smiling. Never a good sign. He looked like a small kid that got the toy skimmer he always wanted. Knowing the Dark Ace he probably would have just stolen it. Then two things happened. We walked into a dark room and the guards dropped me on the floor.

I pushed myself up off the floor and stood up. I was shaking a bit but I think that I was fast to take the Dark Ace. What I hadn't seen however when I was being dragged into the room was that the Dark Ace wasn't alone. There were fifty or so Talons with crystal staffs, sixty or more wallops cracking their knuckles, the Dark Ace and Cyclonis watching from a seat high up above me.

The room was round and there were seats jutting out from the walls. Right now ever single row of seating was groaning under the weight of two hundred or maybe three hundred Talons of all shapes and sizes, eating flame corn and crowing for my death. Cyclonis stood up and started to talk but I was only half listening.

I had to find my core. I could feel it; all the warm memories of my team but then something hot cut through my front and I was jerked away from it. I opened my eyes and saw the Dark Ace had cut a cross in my armour. Now I could hear the last words of Cyclonis as she sat back down.

"Make him pay for his treachery and his betrayal but remember we need him alive. Vaguely alive." She smiled at me and I searched for my core again as the Talons, the wallops and the Dark Ace closed in on me. But I couldn't find it. And now I knew why that it hadn't worked before. Doubt. I couldn't see Piper smiling any more or Radarr smiling from my shoulder or Finn playing his guitair or Junko sleeping with his huge teddy or Stork prophesying death and destruction.

I could only see Piper shoving a firebolt crystal near my voice box, the Dark Ace watching from the shadows and further back Radarr watching and Dove getting ready to shoot Piper in the back. Nothing about it made sense and I couldn't turn my mind away from the image so I did the only thing I could do.

I side stepped the first bolts from the Talons staffs and jumped over their heads. While they were distracted, I grabbed one of their staffs and shot about seven of them in the back. The wallop advanced on me but I could see their hearts weren't in it. I kept them back with a few stray bolts to the head. Most were unconscious and the others that were still standing waited to see what would happen next. While I was fighting the rest of the Talons, I got so absorbed by the battle that I forgot about the Dark Ace. My first mistake in the battle and also my last. I didn't see him coming until I felt a searing pain in my back. He had cut from my left shoulder down to my right hip.

I turned to see two fuzzy Dark Aces grinning at me. The Talons and the wallops were closing in around me with black eyes and evilly grinning faces. And then I saw something in the stands that made me feel worse. Piper was sitting next to Master Cyclonis. And she was smiling. That's when I blacked out. But I could still feel the pain. At least some of it.

Lark's POV

"I need to be alone."

"Master Cyclonis said that you were supposed to be doing your training with Carver and then history of Cyclonia with Domowick."

"Yes well neither of them are coming. I want to be alone Ravess so get lost."

"How do you know they aren't coming?"

"I saw them leaving the arena with the Dark Ace. Trust me. They aren't coming. Now you see that door over there. Use it and leave me alone."

"Touchy. Fine, I'll tell Master Cyclonis you denied her generous offer of education."

"Get knotted."

Finally, Ravess left. I wasn't lying. I had just watched something that should have brought me endless joy except for one small detail. Although I was smiling so Master Cyclonis wouldn't be suspicious I was trying not to throw up over the nearest Talon. It was grotesque. There was blood everywhere, poring from Aerrow's back in buckets. And when he collapsed they kept on kicking him, cutting him and punching him. The wallops played a game of catch with him.

If it wasn't for the amazing powers of healing that Master Cyclonis's new crystals possessed, he would be dead. But that shouldn't bother me. I hate him. He tortured me. He was the reason that I lost all my memories. He hates me too. I can tell by the way he looked at me before he fainted.

But I can't stop worrying about him. More importantly I can't get my new memory out of my head.

_There was steam in the air. I could feel the damp warmth. I was in some kind of ship with cream walls made of metal. I could only assume this was the Condor. I could hear someone talking. _

"_How do you about Aerrow?" I asked. _

"_I've been watching you for days. I could have easily destroyed you both last night but for some reason Master Cyclonis needs you both alive." _

"_Where's Aerrow?" He chuckled and I jumped. He had moved behind me. My hand reached into my crystal pouch and I grasped some kind of crystal though I couldn't be sure what. I looked for the smoky shadow of the Dark Ace. _

It was short but there were so many questions to it. Why did I care where Aerrow was? What was there to know about Aerrow and me? Was I going to shoot the Dark Ace? Why was I worried about someone who tortured me?! And why don't I remember more than images of the wallop and the blonde guy and the merb and the squirrel thing?

Nothing makes sense anymore. I turned over and tried to sleep. Maybe things would be clearer in the morning. It was a slim hope.

Aerrow's POV

I was bruised and battered and definitely not letting anyone know I was awake. If they found out they would probably sign me up for another pummeling by the goon squad. Earlier a doctor had come by to check on me. Then a group of Talons had come by to stake claims on who maimed me where. Finally the Dark Ace had come to gloat and left after five minutes of him telling me how much better he was at everything even though he thought I was unconscious.

I heard someone walking towards me and wondered if it was Piper/Lark. The hum of the leacher was the only other sound in the room.

"Hello, Aerrow," said my visitor, "How are you healing?" Cyclonis. What's she doing here? I stayed perfectly still, hoping my attempt to look asleep would fool her. "Your lame attempt to pretend to look asleep is not fooling me." I opened my eyes.

"Can't blame a guy for trying."

"Try me." It wasn't a question. Then again Master Cyclonis is insane. Answering ever question that she thinks she gets is not really the issue.

"I'm here to make a deal with you." I rolled my eyes.

"Yes because the last one was such a good one," I said, adding layers of sarcasm with every word.

"Let me tell you your position."

"I'm bruised and lying down."

"Ha ha. You're so funny. The correct answer was you're in Cyclonia. Your team is running around like a headless chicken unsure what to do without you or your annoying girlfriend. Speaking of which I hypnotized her into losing all her memories. I gave her the ones that I needed and repressed the ones I didn't." She sat on my bed and I realized I still couldn't move. Otherwise I would have pushed her off. But I could still talk. Cyclonis's will no doubt.

"Why didn't you just hypnotize me too?" She sighed and edged closer to me.

"Because you are a warrior. A good one too. Your mind is wired to think of a million different possibilities all at once and you would have looked at all the possibilities not just the one. Piper is more of a scholar. She thinks in straight lines which is fine if you are working out a maths problem but terrible if you're stuck in combat. Following the book only gets you so far." I tried to move and add to the collection of bruises on her jawbone. No good and she was moving closer agian.

"Get away from me," I spat.

"No. You're mine whether you like it or not so get used to it. You are no longer in the world of gumdrops and rainbows. You're in Cyclonia, weak as kitten and about to be turned into my obedient slave."

"Okay so if you can't hypnotize me what are you going to do to make me your obedient slave?" I said hoping she had no answer.

"Very simple. I take this," she held up a very familiar looking crystal "and shove it in your spine." I went cold. In a place that is practically built on brimstone that's hard to do.

"Where did you get that?" She rolled her eyes at me and put her hand on my cheek. I couldn't move otherwise I would have bitten her.

"Oh you are so cute when you think you know something. You never had it. I wanted your little girlfriend to rescue you. I knew she would and I knew she appreciated the urgency. But what impressed me more was you. Under extreme pressure, you never snapped or betrayed any of your teammates or even got angry. You sat there and you took it for Piper."

"But…I felt it. It was in my mind. It was dark and painful."

"An illusion. Before the process had begun I switched the Sermus crystal with a replica of my own design. It has the same effect as the Sermus crystal but with one added bonus: my thoughts are shoved into your mind and they take over. Didn't you think it was strange when you felt it gloating? Your mind was so easy to take. And then your little girlfriend came and kissed you so I needed to leave. Otherwise I could have had brain damage and nobody wanted that." I was stunned.

"Yes, defiantly one of my better plans. And it was so simple too. A test that neither you nor Piper guessed. And now it's almost over. I'm giving you one chance. Join Cyclonia now or force my hand and have to join anyway." Well when she put it that way.

"Burn in hell." She smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow. You have until then to make the right decision." She turned to leave and then she leaned over me one last time. "And here's something to sweeten the bargain." And then she leant over and did the last thing I expected.

She kissed me! On the lips.

"Piper never deserved you anyway. Remember you're mine whether you like it…or not."

_And on that bombshell, goodnight. I wonder if anyone saw that coming. Don't forget to R&R._


	14. What have the Storm Hawks been doing?

_Hello to all the people out there in reader land. Just a heads up: this chapter is almost criminally boring. Sorry. Anyway to my reviewers:_

_Whisperthewolf: I aim to please. I try not to leave people hanging for too long. Honestly._

_Rose: Piper Oh get a grip. If you keep complaining you'll be kissing Master Cyclonis next.,_

_Aerrow I did didn't I._

_Rose Glad to have you back and it's not my fault if you have a weak stomach. Blame Master Cyclonis. It was her idea._

_Booklover4177: Well, I like to think that she has a heart somewhere inside her cloak and she is forteen and lives on her own. What would you do? The Dark Ace? Everyone always goes with the Dark Ace or Piper. You'd be surprised about how few people go with someone the same age and opposite gender with Master Cyclonis. _

_Doilan: Ah, you see that was all part of this evil plan that I'm apparently coming up with. Hope you're feeling less tired now so that you can spot my mistakes again._

_Gato: That was the point._

_Alicat259: For some reason nobody was. Thanks. I didn't know that. Maybe I'll do more in the future. The oneliners were kind of a mistake. I don't think that Aerrow would be that obnoxious in the show. Still if it made you laugh no harm done (except maybe scaring Rose and Piper by making MC kiss Aerrow.)_

_Rita: (Can I call you Rita?) If you kill me I can guarantee you that neither God nor I will help Aerrow._

_Delphigirl689: It's really weird. Apparently no one did see this coming. I thought I was being really obvious. Just kiddin ;P. How did you see the crystal thing coming? Admitttedly more obvious than the Master Cyclonis thing but still, how?_

_Jenergy: Thanks. Here's the next one._

Finn's POV

"Where are we going?" I asked as we sped away from Cyclonia. "Where's Aerrow? Dove what happened in there?" Dove just sat there looking at the ground. "You have to tell us. We're his team we have a right to know."

"I don't think you'll like it," she said and she sounded so hurt that I decided it would be best to leave it for the moment. She had really liked Aerrow. We all had. Whatever had happened must have been traumatic.

"At least tell Stork where we're going. He can't read minds," I said as gently as possible. Dove stood up. She looked kind of hard like she had something she needed to do before she had another breakdown.

"We need a new leader. Someone strong and smart-"

"Who is where?"

"-and someone who can handle you guys. We're heading to Terra Atmosia." Then she kind of straightened up like someone had invisibly switched her spine for a plank of wood. "What do you want to know Finn?" Oh so many things.

"Where's Aerrow?"

"Still on Cyclonia."

"Why?"

"He got captured by the Dark Ace and Piper."

"Piper!? That's not possible! She would never-"

"But she did. She was wearing a commander's uniform. She was holding a firebolt crystal to his throat. She was almost killed twice and he protected her. He made his decision."

"Wait a minute. You don't actually think that we are going to leave him in that…place do you? Is that why you think we need a new leader?" asked Junko.

"We need him back. He's the only one who has any real right to be a Storm Hawk," I added.

"And above all, despite his obvious affliction with mind-worms and deck ticks, he was the only one who managed to keep the Talons away from my home terra," said Stork from the controls.

"Yes but what you seem to be forgetting is that he left us high and dry for someone who looks vaguely like his ex-girlfriend." I was mad. That wasn't right. Was it? Truth be told the woman's logic was flawless but there was one thing that she had forgotten.

"You thought that we were guilt of crimes across the Atmos once remember?" She avoided my gaze. "Yeah and you were wrong. We can't make assumptions because it's the easiest thing to do."

"So you want to be in charge and take us back?" she asked.

"NO!" cried Stork and Radarr shook his head. "There is no way Finn is being in charge again. There is only so much I can take."

"Yeah thanks Stork," I said. "Maybe we should go and get…whoever you have in mind before we go back." Dove smiled.

"Is it me or are you getting smarter?"

"It's just you," Stork told her but I was glad she was smiling again so I let the insult go. "Mind worms," he muttered, "Only explanation."

Starling's POV

So I have saved the Atmos countless time, belonged to one of the best sky knight teams in history and personally protected my terra for years. And as soon as I get back to Atmosia to receive my next mission all they can give me is guard duty at the Atmosian Stockade.

I talked to Dove about it this morning and we both knew there was nothing I could do about it. Still it's not fair by half. I should be out fighting the Raptors or infiltrating Cyclonia or guarding something important. Then again the Atmosian Stockade is the home of Carver. If it wasn't betrayal he wouldn't be here but taunting him gives me something to do so I'm not really complaining.

So I was going to take my shift watching the door from Andrew when I found him slumped by the door with Dove, Finn and Junko standing over him. I rubbed my temples. So it was going to be one of those days.

"I want to believe there's a valid explanation for this, Dove." They turned around to look at me.

"Hi Starling," said Dove. "We need a favour. Oh and we didn't knock out Andrew though the guy probably deserved it." I rolled my eyes. Dove thought that anyone speaking out of term on a mission deserved a lump on the head.

"So who did?" I asked and that's when the alarm went off.

"I'm guessing whoever just broke out of their cell," said Finn. But there was no way that one of the prisoners had broken out of their cells on their own. Unless…

"Someone's just broken them out of their cell," I said running for the only cell block that was worth stealing from. Dove and the Storm Hawks followed. I knew a short cut so luckily we were there before most of the guards. One of them called Derek was looking at a hole in the wall scratching his head.

"WHAT ARE YOU SCRATCHING YOUR HEAD FOR? DO SOMETHING YOU NIMROD!" shouted Dove who looked pretty angry. I have to say I was one nerve away from snapping someone's head off as well but Dove looks like she has really had it. And she said nimrod. Also a bad sign. Finn and Junko ran over to a massive hole that had been cut in the right cell.

"Oh great," said Finn.

"What?" said Dove who had begun to twitch like a crazy person.

"Nothing," he muttered and he exchanged glances with Junko. Dove did the last thing I expected. She took a deep breath, calmed down and asked in an even tone,

"What's wrong, Finn?"

"Um…the person who just broke out…erm"

"Domowick and Carver," I said hoping it would make things go faster,

"Really? Oh-no. I can't be sure but it looked like-"

"Piper." finished Junko mercifully. Finn shot him what looked like a look of thanks. They were working my last nerve now.

"What's going on? How did you know Piper would come here?" I said turning to the only sane person on the team right now, Dove.

"You won't like it if we told you and we didn't know Piper was coming here. That was an unfortunate coincidence." I was on my last nerve but it wouldn't help to show that. Everyone here was upset with the exception of Derek. Speaking of which…

"Derek, tell the Atmosian Council I won't be doing guard duty. Something a lot more interesting has just come up." I turned to the Storm Hawks and Dove. "Okay so explain to me. What am I not going to like?"

Dove's POV

"I don't like it." I sighed. Ever since we had started explaining the plan, Finn seemed to have been waiting for something to go wrong in out plan. It wasn't perfect and no doubt there were risks but hadn't Aerrow, the sky knight known for his stupid stunts, been their leader.

"What particular part?" I asked wondering if I could guess before he said it. Was it the part where Stork distracts the guards by flying the Condor on the outskirts of their border or was it where Starling and I had to sneak of to the Commander's area to find Piper? Or could it be that he found his part of tackling Cyclonia doctors and sick people too dangerous?

"Mine." Hah, I knew it. "What if Aerrow isn't in the infirmary? What do I do then?" Ah. That's a good question.

"That's a good question," I said and he smiled. I think that's the first time someone's said that to him. "If you don't find them see what you can find out what you can from the patients. See if thy know anything useful."

"Doubt it" muttered Finn and I smiled.

"Okay so everyone knows the plan," asked Starling. We all nodded and Stork wandered back to the controls. Radarr followed. The little guy was so shocked by everything that had happened that Stork occasionally let him drive. Finn walked over to me and said,

"Hey you know after this is over we aren't going to be able to see each other that much," he said, looking at his feet. Finn was never the most tactful of all people so I suppose that I could let him off this once but he didn't have to mention that. I wasn't looking forward to being asked to leave and having to work with the Rebel Ducks again. Somehow, I think the feeling was mutual.

"Yes, I have realized" I said, trying no to sound cold. He looked at me and I saw what he was trying to say. Oh. "Sorry, Finn but I have to talk to Starling about the plan. I don't think that Radarr should come with us to find Piper but she said we could talk about it after discussing the plan." I was never a very good liar but I didn't know if I felt that way about Finn.

Or come to that if he really felt the same way about me. He does think of himself as a bit of a lady's man. Was he just having some fun? I walked over to Starling unsure about what to talk about. Anything but Finn. I needed to focus on the mission for now.

"How far are we from, Cyclonia?" I asked. Starling who had been staring out of the window turned to me.

"Not sure. Maybe you should ask Stork," she said, like she had just woken up. I wonder what she had been thinking about.

"What were you thinking about?" I asked trying to ignore Finn talking to Junko and the urge to eavesdrop.

"A mission I did with Aerrow when I needed to get back my father's shield from the Raptors. He was so good about it and Piper led the Storm Hawks flawlessly. The mission couldn't have gone smoother and they were only starting out as a team."

"I know the feeling. I was saved by them before I became leader of the Rebel Ducks. I never thought that I could be as good as Aerrow and I was right. I'm always getting mad at them because they aren't doing things right. He's always so laid back."

"No he's not," said Finn from behind me. I jumped a mile.

"Finn! Don't sneak up on me like that," I said trying to keep my voice at the same pitch.

"Sorry but Aerrow didn't have his confidence right from the beginning," said Finn, smiling slightly "he couldn't make a decision without talking to me first" I raised my eyebrows "okay so it only happened once and it was because Piper wasn't around. And if he wasn't checking with me or Piper, he was talking to Junko or Stork. He just couldn't make a on his own. It took time for him to get used to being in charge, though he never did hit any of us round the back of the head."

"He deserved it. I told him a million times not to talk on missions and he still did it. He could talk to Peter after the mission not when we are trying not to be heard by Cyclonians," I said annoyed that he thought I would hit him just because I was in charge.

"Yeah but still, why didn't you just tell them that?" Damn, that's actually probably what I should have done. I knew they weren't listening when I told them the plan. It was humiliating being told by Finn so I did the only thing that would make me feel better.

"Shut up, Finn." He looked hurt but I didn't really have time to apologize because Stork then said,

"You guys have to go." Starling turned to him taking full advantage of being leader.

"Is it time to start the mission?" Stork sighed.

"No but if you argue any longer, Radarr is going to have heart attack," he said pointing to Radarr who was focusing hard on the skies and gripping the steering wheel far to hard. "Maybe you guys should fly ahead and I'll tell you when I've started the distraction."

_And that ends this boring chapter for now. Sorry but it was necessary for the next chapter._


	15. Rescue Attempt

_It's been a while since I've given you a good chapter. I hope this makes up for it. But first to my reviewers:_

_Doilan: Yes a mistake at last. And your first one as an eighteen year old. Thanks Doilan_

_Gato: I think you were the only one who noticed the FxD congrats. Promise that when you become an animator you'll let me know when your first cartoon comes out._

_Whisper: Here's some more. Hope you enjoy it more than the other one._

_Delphigirl689: Read on. Find out._

_100__th__ review: Rita: Yeah I know it was boring but there wasn't much I could do about it. It needed to be said. Thanks for being honest._

_Rose: Oh no please don't do something. This is more interesting I swear._

Master Cyclonis's POV

I walked back into my throne room feeling oddly elated. Aerrow was mine, Piper was my slave and there was no one left to oppose my empire. Well, no one that mattered. I allowed myself a smirk as I remembered the Storm Hawk's pitiful remaining members: the blonde sharpshooter known for being the biggest coward on the Atmos, the wallop strong enough to topple Snipe but stupid enough to want to be a 'good guy', the merb who's so afraid of infection that he rarely leaves his precious ship and the blue monkey who managed to outsmart Commander Chicken Feather although that's not really saying much.

"Maybe they'll make him leader of the Storm Hawks," I said to myself. The thought of the Storm Hawks made me suspicious. None of them knew when they were beaten and they might make one last attempt to regain their leader. And I couldn't let that happen. So I'll have him moved from the infirmary but where? And then I thought of the perfect place.

Lark's POV

_It was that meadow again. The one where I had seen that spiky shadow. In the dream, I had no doubt that it had been Aerrow. Why was he there?_

"_You still haven't figured it out," said someone behind me. I turned around. It was Aerrow again. He was tied to the floor by grass ropes as thick as my arm. _

"_Who tied you up?" I asked._

"_Why?" _

"_I want to thank them," I said. _

"_Really?" He looked mildly surprised. I thought he must be used to it by now. "Why?"_

"_It means I can ignore you more easily."_

"_Thanks. I love you too."_

"_Who tied you down then?" I asked._

"_You did. And if you're wondering you tied them up as well." He looked behind me and then I saw something that I had missed. In front of a hill, there was a field of people tied to the ground with grass ropes. All of them were covered in the fresh smelling mush and I couldn't see their faces._

"_I didn't tie them up," I said. _

"_Then who did?" he asked. I don't know why I said it but_

"_Master Cyclonis. She tied them up and she won't let them loose." He smiled at me._

"_But it's not up to her anymore. Let one of them go."_

"_I suppose you want to be the first."_

"_I don't really mind. Pick one." Suddenly more grass ropes sprouted from the ground gagging him. Then something inside him broke as the ropes began to tighten._

"_No!" I said and I ran over to him. He was dying. Blood was leaking from his arms and his chest as things began to crack and tear. "How do I make them let go?" I asked although I was fairly sure he couldn't answer. I kneeled over the ropes trying to pull them off. I looked for something to break them but there was nothing,_

"_Lark you are a Cyclonian. You can't help the enemy. Help me instead. Let go of Aerrow and come over to us." I turned around to see the Dark Ace trying to pull the bonds of Master Cyclonis, who seemed to be in the same kind of position as Aerrow.. _

_I was torn but in the end I always knew that it would come down to this. And I still didn't know what to do. I couldn't trust the Storm Hawks but I was beginning to think that I couldn't trust Master Cyclonis either._

"_So what do I do?" I asked although I knew it was pointless. I was so confused. I couldn't trust anyone. _

_The Dark Ace had saved me but Aerrow had warned me about his partner. Master Cyclonis had saved me from them but then why had she given up on my memories after I had my crystal knowledge back? And why did I care about the Sky Knight? At all. I hated him. I hated all of his little sky knight friends as well. And I also hated all the Cyclonian wannabes otherwise known as dumb muscle or Talons. So who can I trust?_

_I looked down and tried no to cry. Aerrow was slowly dieing before me but he was still looking at me with green eyes, the colour of leaves when sunlight is streaming through them. The look he was giving me was so familiar and yet I still couldn't place it._

"_I can't help you," I said. He looked down and I followed his gaze. On the floor was a light blue crystal that shone in the sunshine. I picked it up. It seemed so familiar. I wondered what it did. It might be able to free… someone. I picked a random vine covered prisoner and focused hard on the crystal willing it to work._

_A white light shone out of the crystal and it lit up the cocoon with an image. I looked at it. The picture was of Aerrow and he was smiling. The kind of smile where the person doesn't have a care in the world._

_And then I remembered what kind of crystal it was. And then I remembered what team I was on. The ropes of grass began to recede letting go of the people in them. Slowly they got up and as they did, one by one I named them. Starling, Harrier, the Atmosian Council, the Dark Ace (I could have sworn that he was trying to help Cyclonis a moment ago), Wren, Dove, the Absolute Zeros, the Third Degree Burners, Finn, Junko, Stork, Radarr and Aerrow. Standing on top of the hill waiting for me was Aerrow smiling at me like on my Aphrus crystal. I ran up to him but suddenly the hill was getting bigger._

"_No," I screamed running faster but the hill only got bigger. As I finally sat down out of breath, Master Cyclonis appeared in front of me._

"_If you want to be free of me, you'll have to do better than that Lark." It was over but I was getting the last word._

"_My name is not Lark, it's-_

Piper," I said suddenly sitting up in bed sweating and panting.

Piper's POV

Master Cyclonis is going to pay. I am going to tear her and her Terra down brick by sulphurous, maggot ridden brick until I get Aerrow back. And her little Talons too. I got out of bed and grabbed my Talon uniform. I missed my old navigator's uniform but for now this will have to do. I walked to the throne room trying not to let on how frustrated I was. Now that I was walking among the sharks, it wouldn't help me to act like a lamb. Unfortunately, Carver found me before I could even get close to the throne room.

"Where are you going, Lark? We have a lesson remember" he said, grabbing my arm. As calmly as possible I took his arm and flipped him over my shoulder into the brick wall. He fell to the ground with a thud.

"Sorry, I don't think you have anything to teach me," I said walking down the corridor. Now I had all of my memories back I remembered the days on Terra Neverlandis when Aerrow and I were practicing Sky Fu together while Radarr and Finn sunbathed in the sun. Suddenly I was nervous. Would Aerrow forgive me for what I had done? I was under an evil spell seems as good an excuse as telling the teacher my sky monkey ate my homework.

"Wait, Lark." Ahh, the irony. Master Cyclonis had once used that name to trick me and infiltrate the team. Now it was payback time. Carver caught up with me, a bruise forming on his forehead. He was about to put his hand on my shoulder. I gave him a look and he thought better of it. "Why are you so mad?" I had a plan. And not just any plan, a brilliant plan.

"The Dark Ace says that I can't go and see that jerk Aerrow. I wanted to make his life miserable before Master Cyclonis makes up her mind what to do with him. _Whatever that is. _Anyway he said that I have lessons to make up for my lack of memory like I'm some kind of idiot. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?" I said hoping I hadn't played the innocent little card to much. He smiled at me. Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"No problem, I can show you where that idiot sky knight is," then he took a step closer to me, "and afterwards maybe we could head back to my room for some extra," he took another step forward "training." I had to keep repeating to myself _you need him, you need him. _Still he was too close for comfort. Maybe I could use this unfortunate incident to my advantage.

"Let's double time it then. Don't want to be late for my training, do I?" I whispered in a breathy voice, trying hard to hold those horrible dull gold eyes and winked at him. By some miracle it had the effect I needed. He started walking quickly down the corridors and I stayed close to him not letting my eyes fall from his face no matter how much I wanted to. Instead I thought of Aerrow. I could just kick Carver's butt and then we could escape to the skimmers. Maybe we would meet the Dark Ace on the way and then Aerrow could beat him up for old times sake.

That thought kept me going until I realized that we were outside the medical wing. I tried not to look too excited. I was going to see Aerrow again and then I heard a familiar voice.

"So if he's not here then where is he?" Carver looked at me. I put on my best surprised look.

"Who's that?" I asked a nicely as possible.

"Finn of the Storm Hawks."

Finn's POV

Oh no. Aerrow wasn't here. What was I supposed to do? The doctors were on a coffee break and most of the patients were unconscious. The few that were awake didn't seem to have enough brain power between them to get a light bulb started. Then things got worse. Carver walked in. And he had a sword out, aimed directly at me.

"Hi, if it isn't fan number two," he sneered gloating over every single word. I really shouldn't have signed up as one of his fan members. I'm fairly sure the only other one was him! "What brings you to this side of the" CLANG! Carver fell to the ground with a thud.

Behind him stood Piper with a dented bedpan. She looked at me and I was sure that she was going to apologize for all the hardship that she had put the team through. Instead she glared at me.

"Finn, you idiot! What are you doing here?" Oh well maybe it was a bit much to except.

"What am I doing here! Why are you dressed as a Cyclonian commander? And what's going on. You busted Carver out of jail and then you hit him with a bedpan. You helped the Dark Ace to capture Aerrow and then you came here. I'm guessing that you aren't here for a friendly visit." She flinched and looked away. I sighed. "Okay time for this later. Do you don't know where Aerrow is?"

She smiled. "I missed your stupid questions, Finn. If I came with Sleeping Beauty here, then haven't you guessed that meant neither of us knew where he was?" I was really not in the mood to be insulted.

"Well, since you were the one who put him here then I thought that you might know what happened to him." She glared at me. I put up my hands up in defeat. "We can talk about it later. Now what do we do with Carver?" She gave me that look she gets when I missed something obvious.

"Finn we're in a hospital. Just put him on a bed and put the sheets over his head." Well I was right. It was obvious. We picked up Carver (who weighed more than he looked) and put him on one of the beds. The Talons were all quivering in their beds. Piper gave them a stern look. "Tell anyone about this and I will have you thrown of this terra. Got it?" They nodded. "Good."

Piper's POV

We left Carver sleeping peacefully in his cot. As we walked down the corridor, Finn updated me on what had happened over the last month or so. I was horrified to find out about all the crazy and in some cases pointless missions that Aerrow had taken while I was gone. Then Finn told me about Dove and I couldn't help but notice the look he got when he said her name. Maybe there was hope for him yet. Then I heard his retelling of Dove's story about what happened when Aerrow was captured.

"Yeah, that's about right," I said but he motioned for me to be quiet.

"That's not all. Just before Dove left she saw that the Dark Ace was about to cut you open while you were looking for her." I groaned.

"And Aerrow got in between us to save me. I knew the Dark Ace didn't save me." Finn gave me an odd look. "So if he's not in the infirmary where is he?" Finn shrugged.

"If I knew that I wouldn't be stuck here talking to you."

Aerrow's POV

I don't know why I was moved to this room but some time in the morning (you can't tell the time here but one of the Talons were grumbling about having to do this so early) I was put on a medical table still in my tattered armour and carted away with my ever present leecher. I pretended to be asleep and I tuned out there taunts out as well as I could.

I think this is it. I'm going to be stuck as Master Cyclonis's servant. My name is going to be associated with the Dark Ace and Master Cyclonis and even worse than that Chicken Feather. What was worse was that so was Piper or Lark or whatever. Maybe she'll snap out of it and go back to the Storm Hawks and forget about me. And be happy.

I was in a dark room. Because I had been pretending to be asleep I had no idea where I was. I sighed. What can I do?

"Piper?" Starling? "Piper, are you there?" Starling I'm here! I tried to pull together the strength to shout back but I was so weak. I didn't have enough energy to sit up; I only just had enough to breath.

"They can't save you," said the Dark Ace. If I could have moved I'm sure I would have jumped. "No-one can evade Master Cyclonis for ever. Your worthless father learned that the hard way." I wanted to hit him or at least return with a witty comeback but I didn't have the energy to do it. "That's right you can't talk. You can't even move." Apparently, I can still roll my eyes. "And soon you are going to be my apprentice. I wonder how much that stings. Master Cyclonis is already preparing for the Red Ace. She thought it was appropriate because of your hair."

I wish I could have yawned or at least told him to shut his face before I shut it for him or something. I focused hard. Maybe Starling was nearby. There must be someway to let her know where I am. Then I saw it. A panic button set into the steel wall. A big red panic button. I tried to move my hand to press it. The Dark Ace was still talking. I only heard bits as I sucked together my remaining energy.

"Worthless…Red Ace…ha ha…Storm Hawk." Basically repeating what he had said before. I raised my arm and curled my hand into a fist. I don't know whether it was the frustration that I couldn't do anything to tell my friends where I was or the horrible realization that the Dark Ace was far from done talking but I managed to push the button. For a split second there was nothing but silence as the Dark Ace realized what I had done.

And then the alarms went off.

Piper's POV

The red lights along the corridor lit up in unison as if to lead the way. Then the alarms turned on; the volume raising until I swear I could actually see it bouncing of the walls. I remembered that alarm. Suddenly something blue and furry leapt from behind Finn and pulled the speaker out from its bracket.

"Radarr," I cried as the little guy crawled up onto my shoulders and started massaging his ears. Finn glared at him.

"I thought we told you to stay on the Condor," he said and Radarr and I looked at each other.

"Yeah like Radarr was going to miss this," I said. Radarr rolled his eyes. "You think that was Aerrow?"

"Like it matters. If that even was him, how will we know where it came from?" I grinned at him.

"C'mon. I know a short cut."

Aerrow's POV

The Dark Ace was watching the door while two Cyclonians wheeled me down some kind of secret corridor. The door was concealed in the wall behind a curtain. The Dark Ace followed as we disappeared into the shadowy corridor lit by purple crystals at intervals. I noticed a small crack of light on the wall. I hoped that only the right people noticed. Then I heard the alarm fade out. I just hope someone heard it apart from some cranky Talons.

I was strapped down to a gurney. The Talons were so mad at having to be woken up again that each bump in the endless stone tunnel that seemed to have been sculpted with teaspoons was torture. That was probably what was waiting for me at the end of this tunnel. Didn't these guys ever do anything merciful like killing me?

As it turns out the light at the end of the tunnel was a circular room with a stone table in the middle. Standing behind it was Master Cyclonis holding a slender but sharp knife. I realized that they left the leecher in the dark room. On purpose or not, I can only guess.

"No need for it anymore," said Master Cyclonis, reading my mind. "Soon you will willingly stay here if I say so." They undid my straps and I tried to move. No such luck. They took off my shirt and jammed me onto the table. Suddenly I felt like a pig ripe for the slaughter. A sacrifice for the good of Cyclonia.

"Any last words?" asked Master Cyclonis. I couldn't see what she was doing since I was pressed against a slab of black rock but I could feel her pressing the cold metal blade against my back.

"I hate you," I said. Then she bent over and whispered in my ear,

"But you'll love me soon." And then I felt the cold metal slide between muscles slicing and cutting me up. I would have screamed except this wasn't my first time. Why does this always happen to me? I turned my head to the side to glimpse my last image of life.

The pain of the Sermus crystal came a few seconds later. Then I fell into the blackness but as if to prove life really had it in for me I was still able to see Lark or Piper or whatever, pale beneath her tanned skin looking from the blood, my blood, to my face and then back again.

"Stand up, Aerrow," said Cyclonis. And then I did. I tried to sit down. I couldn't. I tried to scream. Only I heard it.

_Okay so all the Cyclonian klaxons all making different noises is unlikely but I think you can guess where the secret passage was and why the room deserved a specific alarm. _


	16. Cyclonis's Slave

_Happy Birthday to me. I'm fifteen at last hurray! :D _

_Anyway to all the people out there in the real or cartoon world. Enjoy and review if you have an account and can be bothered. To my reviewers who can be bothered:_

_Gato: Thanks Gato, you are so sweet. Nobody likes Lark not even me to be honest. She's a bit of a suck up._

_Doilan: Lucky you. Thanks for mentioning the mistake_

_Rose: Please don't hurt me. I hope never to have another boring one again._

_Ali: Thanks Alicat. Enjoy what happens next_

_Booklover4177: Thanks._

_Rita: Of course. But shh… don't tell the others._

_Delphigirl689: Sorry this isn't the ending but it is an answer to some of your questions._

_Whisperthewolf: I updated as soon as I could._

Piper's POV

It was horrible. He could see me. His head was tilted toward the door. No-one else had seen me yet. Master Cyclonis was holding a bloody knife above his back, blood was oozing from him and I could see the frigid white of the spinal cord glistening.

Then the blood dried and the wounds healed so fast that I could actually see it happening. I didn't need anyone to tell me what had happened. I didn't needed Radarr's whimper at his best friends mutilated form or Finn's terrified squeak to know that things were bad.

"Stand up, Aerrow," said Master Cyclonis, her tone even but her eyes were so wide she looked like a kid on her birthday. Aerrow immediately stood up but he didn't try to run. He didn't even try to give me away. Aerrow just stood there.

"Sit, Aerrow," said the Dark Ace but Aerrow just stood there. Master Cyclonis smiled.

"He only obeys me Dark Ace so don't get any ideas," said Master Cyclonis. I backed away into the corridor with Finn quivering next to me. Radarr looked like he was going to pounce on Master Cyclonis but Finn was holding him back.

"We need a plan," he mouthed at me. I nodded but all I could think about is the look on Aerrow's face. It wasn't even the same as when it had been last inserted. He had been in pain for at least ten minutes whereas in this case he hadn't screamed or done anything. He had just laid there waiting for it to be over.

Finn grabbed my shoulder pulling my out of my thought. Then I realized the Cyclonians were talking again.

"By the way Dark Ace when I came in here did me here the alarms in my room go off?"

"Yes. Aerrow pushed it in one final attempt to let his teammates know where he was. Pitiful really. They wouldn't have noticed the different pitches in alarms."

"Yes but just in case I think we should have Aerrow go search for intruders. Aerrow, go into my room and look for anyone who shouldn't be there." Maybe there was a flaw in Master Cyclonis's plan after all.

"Finn, stay hidden," I said and then I stepped out into the corridor. Finn grabbed my hand.

"You can't do this," he said. "What are you doing?"

"Trying out a theory and if you don't stay hidden he'll see you," I said pushing him into the shadows. His blue eyes stared out at me with Radarr's until they moved back farther into their only defense.

_Remember you're still Lark. Look like you think he shouldn't be free. Don't cry. _I focused on that last part holding back the tears. One defiant one slid down my cheek as I saw Aerrow at the end of the corridor silhouetted in the white light like an angel. A blank faced, pale, blood stained guardian angel. I resisted the urge to run up and give him a hug. He leapt on me and dragged me back to the room and dumped me on the blood splattered table.

He then left, probably to search Master Cyclonis's room for intruders. I hoped he didn't find Finn or Radarr. Then I realized I had bigger problems as Master Cyclonis leaned over me.

"Lark, what are you doing here? I thought you had a lesson with Carver," she smiled to herself and I wondered what I would be doing if I was still under her control. Oh sweet Atmos! I don't want to know. I don't even want to think about it.

"Umm…I wanted to see Aerrow so I asked if Carver would show me where he was but Aerrow had left and we were ambushed by the blonde boy and his pet blue squirrel," I may have imagined it but I think I heard an indignant screech. "Carver got knocked out by the squirrel and they ran off before I could apprehend them. Then I heard the alarm so I ran here. Then I saw the crack in the wall and that you weren't there so I feared the worst and went down the passage. Then I was tackled by that moron and now I'm here."

Master Cyclonis nodded. "Where is Carver now?"

"I left him on one of the cots. He was really hurt," _I really hope that those Talons don't talk. What am I thinking? They probably won't even bother asking them. Still I might want to pay then a visit._

"Very well. Well as you can see the sky knight has been brought over to our side now. It isn't necessary for you to know how just that he follows my commands now and that you are not to go near him. He is still dangerous

Even in this state."

"Yes, Master Cyclonis," I said trying to appear humble "I should go check on Carver" _and erase the minds of a couple of Talons_ I thought but she didn't need to know that. I walked out of the room to the sniggers of the Dark Ace. I searched the shadows for Finn but it seemed like he had escaped.

I walked through Master Cyclonis's room and saw Aerrow searching underneath the bed for someone. And then I saw it. My Aphrus crystal hung over Cyclonis's headboard like a trophy. I left the room and waited for the sound of Aerrow leaving.

At last, he gave up and walked down the secret passage, the sound rebounding of the walls. I ran up and pulled the Aphrus crystal from the wall and stuffed it in my crystal pouch. Then I ran to the infirmary. I still had work to do.

Finn's POV

When Piper was captured by Aerrow it took all of my strength to drag Radarr down the tunnel and to the nearest radio. I quickly tuned it in to the one on the Condor. Dove and Starling should be back there by now.

"Hello Condor, come in Stork," I said and I was greeted by a rush of static. For a second or two I thought that no one was there. And then I heard Dove and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finn where are you? Are you okay?" She was seriously freaking out so I tried to break the news as well as I could.

"Yeah I'm fine. Radarr's here too. No one knows we're here. Piper is no longer under Cyclonian control and we're staying so we can break Cyclonis's control over Aerrow. Oh and I think Master Cyclonis is trying to hook up Carver and Piper. How weird is that?" I heard footsteps down the corridor. Starling was talking now.

"Finn you need to get out of there now. If you're caught-"

"You'll lose the best sharpshooter the Atmos has ever seen. But if I don't stay we lose Aerrow and maybe Piper too. Sorry gotta go. Tell Junko I said hi and tell Stork to stay out of my room." I didn't wait for them to answer. I jumped into the nearest air duct after Radarr and started to crawl into the dirty darkness. A split second later, Snipe walked in. I know it was him because I could hear someone scratching their head.

*

I really hate air ducts. It's not as fun as it seems crawling around in them. It stinks, it's cramped and because I'm crawling after Radarr it's covered in blue fur. Still I searched for Piper hoping she knew what to do. After about three hours searching I found her crying in what looked like her bedroom.

It had a bed with a red blanket with the Cyclonian symbol sown in in black, metal walls, a small black cupboard and three shelves filled with books with boring titles. It looked more like a luxurious cell than a bedroom. I crawled out of the grate.

"Piper. Are you okay?" I asked and she turned in astonishment.

"Finn, I thought you left."

"Nah. It's a lot more fun around here."

"Bet you miss Dove though." I avoided her gaze.

"Yeah anyway. Do you have some brilliant plan? Because we need something truly awe inspiring here." She wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve and shook her head.

"I've got nothing. I can't think I mean can you honestly believe she managed to pull this off. She had Aerrow following her every command and she had me under her control as well and … and" then she burst into tears again. I sighed. How do you handle this?

"Yeah, you were under her control as in past tense. Piper I need you, Aerrow needs you and more importantly Radarr needs you." Radarr looked at me, confused but Piper laughed.

"Well I can't let down Radarr."

"By the way I think you and Carver would have made a lovely couple." She threw a pillow at me but she was still laughing. Then she got serious.

"Okay I have a plan but I need your help. And you'd better hope in works otherwise you and I are going to be in some serious trouble."

Aerrow's POV

I watched as Cyclonis intimidated some Talons. They had come in to tell her that the Absolute Zeroes had sunk a battle cruiser and then wrote their names on the falling Talons parachutes with paint. I wanted to laugh but my body wouldn't respond. It was freaky. I don't need to eat or drink anymore, I don't sleep unless Cyclonis tells me too, I can't even scratch my nose. It is frustrating and scary. Am I going to die a prisoner in my own body? Worse still am I going to have to do what Cyclonis says for the rest of my life?

"Oh stop sniveling. You will go and scrub those parachutes until they are free of every trace of those filthy Blizzarians. Now get out of my sight," I think the Talons broke the sound barrier in their haste to leave the room.

_Wow what a caring leader. _She got down from her throne and she walked out.

"Follow me, Aerrow," she said and of course I did. As she and I walked down the dingy corridors I thought about Piper or Lark. She was so horrible around me. And she and Carver were getting really close and it bugged me. Even if she wasn't in her right mind surely she knows better than to hang out with Carver.

"Aerrow, stop" said Cyclonis and then I realized I was about to walk into a wall.

_This is getting annoying. I want my free will back. _Then I realized what wall I had been about to walk into. Oh Atmos please let me be wrong.

"Turn around Aerrow, I can't see you" said Cyclonis. I turned around. Cyclonis, sitting on her bed. "Come. Sit." It wasn't a friendly request and I tried my hardest to resist but the same thing happened as before: I got a spine snapping pain down my back and I did what she ordered anyway.

She leaned in closer to me. "Look at me, Aerrow," Suddenly I was looking into those merciless violet eyes. "What is it about you that draws people in Aerrow? Is it your body?" She stroked her hands across my stomach "Is it your eyes? Or maybe it's that you're a really good kisser." She leaned in and internally I wanted to throw up and run away all at the same time but I was nailed to my seat.

She got closer and closer and then out lips met and she said "Kiss me, Aerrow," _NO! _I thought. The first time she had taken me by surprise but not this time. I tried to pull away and I could feel my body responding. I fought through the pain as I leaned back. Cyclonis just sat there waiting for me to give up. Slowly I made my body stand up and that's when she realized I wasn't giving up.

She grabbed me and pulled me down. "Don't fight me. Aerrow you are mine forever and ever and no matter how much you fight no matter how long you resist one day you are going to just sit back and let life pass you by while your body obeys my every command. Now kiss me." Again I fought through the pain and stood up. Using the last of my strength, I shook my head.

She was furious but then there was a knock on the door. "Go stand in the corner". As soon as I was in the corner, she said "Come in," and Piper/Lark walked in. "Yes Lark what is it?"

_Piper is a much better kisser than you _I thought well aware that only I could hear me but it made me feel better.

"Master Cyclonis, one of the Talons knocked over two Energizer crystals and a pot of super strength glue. Long story short, now they are stuck together and there's something weird happening."

Master Cyclonis sighed. "Well, then you sort it out. You know what to do."

Piper/Lark nodded. "But I can't get near it. They seem to be emitting some kind of repulsing field. I don't know where you keep your shield crystals and I don't like the idea of examining this on my own."

"Fine. Aerrow, don't move. We will continue our discussion later. Be assured I will bring you around to my way of thinking." Then Master Cyclonis left with Piper/Lark. It could have been my imagination but I think that she gave me a backwards glance. She seemed worried.

I missed Piper. She and I barely got chance to start doing anything as a couple like kissing, playing pranks on Finn or even just going on a date. Now I have to deal with Lark who one minute hates my guts and the next seems worried about me.

That's when Finn burst out from the grate over the bed. He landed on the bed and then something blue and furry landed on him. Radarr! I wished that I could go and hug the little guy but Cyclonis had said that I couldn't move. Besides if I tried to do anything by myself I was shocked. Literally.

"Dude, c'mon snap out of it," said Finn who got up from the bed. Radarr got on my shoulder and chirruped at me. "Piper said this might help." He held up Piper's blocking crystal. "Try to talk."

"Radarr are you okay?" I said. Yes I could talk again. "Yes I can talk again. Finn what do you mean Piper said this might help? Wasn't she hypnotized?" Finn shrugged.

"I don't know. Can you move?" I tried to move my legs. I could but I felt like someone had plugged me into a socket.

"Yeah."

"Does it hurt?"

_Yes, quite a lot._ "No. C'mon we need to leave before crazy comes back. You have no idea what she was going to do to me."

"Torture?"

"Yeah something like that."

_Okay he was only her slave for half a chapter but I didn't want to drag it out to long. Plus my chapters are super long so it's more like he was her slave for one normal chapter. Don't get the wrong idea btw the Sermus crystal is still in there. _


	17. Freedom with a Price

_Hey guys. Don't forget to R&R but first:_

_Ali: No offense received. Sorry for grossing you out._

_Gato: Thanks Gato. Glad you enjoyed it. _

_Delphigirl689: I'll try_

_Rose: Thank you for not trying to hurt me. Much appreciated._

_Jenergy: Here it is._

_Rita: Wondering what?_

_LostLyra: Good to hear from you again._

_Whisper: That's all I really need to hear._

_Booklover4177: Thanks Booklover._

_Doilan: Technically he didn't actually kiss her. Thanks for the corrections but that last one was actually just supposed to be 'did the alarms go off in my room?'_

_PaigeyLou: Doesn't matter. Good to see you._

Piper's POV

After one worried look at Aerrow I followed Master Cyclonis down the corridor to the lab where I had stuck the two Energizers together. Unfortunately on the way down to the lab we ran into Carver.

"Master Cyclonis, please may I borrow the lovely Lark?" he asked. _Suck up_. The sad thing was that I probably sounded the same way when I was hypnotised. Cyclonis nodded and walked on toward the lab.

"Hello Lark," said Carver.

"Hi Carver," I said trying not to gag on the words and the false cheeriness that I put on.

"I was wondering if you wanted to join me for a skimmer ride this afternoon," he said, looking straight into my eyes. I smiled back at him while thinking _only if I can push you off it into the Wastelands you lying son of a – _but my internal monologue was cut off by a loud clang in the air conditioning vents. I caught a glimpse of blue and green as Aerrow and Finn stared out at us.

"Rats! Don't worry my dear I will take care of them," _My dear. What is this- Wait what did he just say?_

"No wait please don't," I said grabbing a Paralyser crystal from my pocket. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" He turned to look at me and I stared into the vents. Green and blue eyes stared back. I twitched my head to the left imploring them to move. I didn't want an audience for this.

Aerrow's POV

I hate air vents but I would happily crawl through a mile of them...okay maybe not but I would rather this tunnel of cramped, dark unpleasantness ended in a molten lake that I had to swim then watching Piper and Carver getting closer and closer.

Finn motioned that we should move but for some reason I wanted to watch. I stayed and Radarr refused to leave my side now that I was back so Finn shrugged and moved closer to the hole. He must figure if he was going to stay he might as well have black mail material.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" asked Piper and from where I was sitting I saw her tilt her head to the left. The message was clear 'Get moving'. Finn pointed and I nodded. I didn't move an inch though. I couldn't. When I had become a Talon, Master Cyclonis had me dressed in a Talon's uniform complete with goggles that were now stuck on something. I tried to pull them off but something creaked. Carver turned around but Piper grabbed him and turned him around.

"Please," she pleaded. I pulled at the goggles again but they wouldn't come loose. I tried to take them off but there wasn't enough space. Finn leant over to help but the air ducts creaked when he moved. Radarr squeezed on to my shoulders and began to chew through the strap. And I was stuck watching as Carver wrapped his hands around my girlfriend's waist.

"I know you like me," she said looking at the floor. He tilted her head upwards and for a second I thought she was going to hit him. No such luck.

"I thought I was being too obvious," he whispered moving in closer to her lips. My world turned red. Mostly because I was furious at Carver for making a move on Piper but also because Radarr had finally chewed through the goggle's strap and the tinted lenses were sitting on my nose.

Suddenly Piper lurched forward so there lips met and they were kissing. Then he was laying smoking on the floor with a burning patch on his chest from the Paralyser crystal in Piper's hand. She looked directly at us.

"Move quicker, guys. We don't have much time. Oh and Aerrow for the record you are a much better kisser then he is." I smiled. Finn, Radarr and I continued down the steel, grey air ducts until we came to the grate that lead to the hanger bay. Two guards lay on the floor with Piper standing over them with a Paralyser crystal.

"Did you have to kiss them too Piper?" asked Finn, grinning like an idiot.

"Shut up, Finn," retorted Piper. It was good to have her back. She came up to me.

Piper's POV

He was staring at me. I couldn't think what could be running through that cute head of his but I could guess. He must be mad about the kiss with Carver. I didn't even like it. It was like kissing a leaking pipe. I walked up to him.

"Aerrow, please don't be mad. I didn't want to kiss him but –" I didn't get to finish. He grabbed me and pulled me into a really deep kiss. My head spun but my mouth knew what to do.

There was an annoyed grunt from Finn who was obviously uncomfortable. 'Um we have to go before the guards come and you know, capture us and re-hypnotise you and stuff." We ignored him for a moment and then we broke apart and I stared into his eyes. They were the colour of sunlight when it is streaming through a spring leaf, warm and fresh.

And then the moment was ruined by Master Cyclonis and the commanders walking in. The Dark Ace leered at us.

"How nice to see you, Lark. Aerrow I thought you were discussing things with Master Cyclonis," he sneered. I sighed.

"I have been waiting to say this all day. My name is not Lark, its Piper," I said as calmly as I could. What Cyclonis and her cronies did not see was Radarr slipping Aerrow his crystal blades that we swiped from the Dark Ace's room or Finn tightening his grip on his crossbow.

"You are going to surrender and hand yourselves in. The monkey and Radarr can leave now. They are not the property of Cyclonia," said Ravess, taking out her bow from somewhere.

Aerrow brought out his blades quick as a flash and they lit up a brilliant blue. "No, we are all leaving now," he said, slowly moving towards one of the skimmers. I picked up one of the staffs from the guards and pointed it at Snipe and Ravess. The Dark Ace reached out to grab the hilt of his sword when Master Cyclonis stopped him.

"Let them leave," she said, "Soon they will be of no use to us." I couldn't help but be curious.

"Why?" I asked.

"Oh it's very simple. When your boyfriend disobeys my orders the Sermus crystal inflicts pain on him. After a while, if that's not enough it will kill him, very slowly and painfully. Now I will be nice. I will give you four hours to radio me and beg my forgiveness and my cure. And then one of you may return here and the other one may not. I have found that it is unlucky to have both of you around. So I will only keep one." While she spoke I looked at Aerrow. He turned to me and smiled but he couldn't hide the sweat that was dripping from his forehead.

"We're leaving," he said "and the day we come back will be the day that this place falls to the Wastelands," then he got on a skimmer and I got on the back pointing my staff at the commander. They smiled and waved goodbye.

Finn and Radarr followed as we flew into the sky and while Finn radioed the Condor to tell Stork to pick us up I turned around to face Aerrow's back. I couldn't see his face so I decided not to ask how much pain he was in until we had landed.

Soon the Condor came back into sight and we landed on the deck. Junko ran in and swept Finn, Aerrow, Radarr and I up in one big hug. Then Starling came in and wished us the best because it was time for her to be heading back to the Atmosian Stockade. Something about them needing extra guards but I think she just doesn't like to hover.

Then Dove ran in and gave Finn a hug so tight I thought she was going to snap his spine in half. I don't think he minded. We left them alone. Radarr was happily sitting on Aerrow's shoulder, Aerrow was retelling the whole story to Stork (who was taking us as far away from Cyclonia as possible) and Junko and I was watching.

But I couldn't help thinking of Master Cyclonis's final words to us both _the Sermus crystal inflicts pain on him...it will kill him...four hours to radio me and beg my forgiveness and my cure. _There was no way that I was letting him go back to that place but he was dying. Or was this just one of Master Cyclonis's tricks. He seemed fine. But Aerrow was one of those people who didn't like others worrying about him.

Aerrow's POV

It hurt just to sit there and talk to Junko and Stork. Radarr felt like a bag of flaming coals. Ever since we had left Cyclonia the only thing that has stopped me from falling to the floor screaming in agony is the Blocker crystal that Finn gave me. And it doesn't seem to be working anymore.

"Aerrow are you okay?" asked Piper.

"I'm fine," I lied. If I tell her I'm in pain she'll go back to Cyclonia. I'm not going back there and neither is she. I'll die first and I mean it. I would rather I die in pain then she live in Cyclonia with Carver.

"Aerrow, please don't lie."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not." She looked at me and I looked at her. She scowled.

"Radarr, can you pass me the Blocker crystal a minute?" Radarr tilted his head but reached for the crystal in my pocket.

"No wait!" I said. If he took that away I would be on the floor screaming in pain. That is not how I want to be remembered. Piper's eyes expanded until her warm amber coloured eyes filled her face. I sighed "Okay maybe I'm in pain. It's not that bad."

"Aerrow, it's just going to get worse. Why did you try to hide it?" I sighed again and looked away. Junko was looking confused and Stork was shaking his head.

"What are you two arguing about?" asked Junko and that's when Finn and Dove walked in looking very happy. Piper and I shared a look and tried not to grin.

"Hey guys what's going on?" said Finn who looked on like he was the happiest he had ever been. I looked at Piper trying to pass on the message 'don't ruin this for them'. She nodded.

"Nothing," she shrugged and she sent me a stare that could only mean one thing 'this is so not over'. My body was on fire with pain and I wondered how much longer the Blocker crystal could hold off the worst.

Third Person POV

**On Cyclonia**

"How long before we have our recruits back?" asked the Dark Ace. Master Cyclonis shrugged.

"We could do the honourable thing and wait for them to come to their senses." Snipe stopped digging his finger into his ear to say

"Boring! Let's go smash 'em." Ravess shook her head.

"As much as I hate to say this and I mean I really hate to say this, my brother is right. Why don't we just go and destroy them while they are weak and keep them as slaves." Master Cyclonis shook her head and layering her words with sarcasm said,

"Well, I would never have thought of that. Go and get ready. We shall leave in ten minutes to find them. "

When they had all left to prepare for the destruction of the annoying Storm Hawks she said to herself,

"Soon Aerrow we shall be together whether you like it or not."

_By the way guys I found your weapons and hid them so you won't be able to kill me. Expect the next chapter very soon. _


	18. The End?

_Hey guys sorry it has been so long but I bet that you barely noticed. Oh I have something to tell you guys: Diehardstormhawksfan and I have written a crossover (Storm Hawks and Eragon). If you've ever seen or read Eragon feel free to check it out. _

_Whisper: I'm pretty sure having a pen knife is illegal in Britain so you can have it back. May I just point out that __everyone__ is mean to Aerrow Why? 'Cause it's fun. _

_Jenergy: Soz about the wait._

_Rose: Fine but if you steal my sherbet expect the same._

_Delphigirl689: Wow it was worthy of two good jobs. I must be getting good at this._

_Diehardstormhawksfan: Interesting that you assume Aerrow is going to make it. Thx for the review.:D_

_Fire-dancer123: You have a squadron!? I shouldn't have given back Whisper's pocket knife._

_PaigeyLou: Then I don't have to bother giving it back._

_Ali: They bug everyone. _

_Doilan: Fair enough. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy._

_Gato: A fan of two and a half men, Songebob Squarepants and Storm Hawks. You are a girl of many varied tastes. Thx for the review._

Aerrow's POV

I was lying in my room trying to sleep like everyone else on the ship but it wasn't working. The pain was growing so uncomfortable that even breathing seemed like I was ripping my ribs apart. Radarr was snuffling next to me, fast asleep and dreaming of berries somewhere. I got up. I couldn't sleep.

I went outside to watch the night sky. The cock pit was empty. We were floating over Terra Starome and I remembered how all this started with Radarr and his stalker chicken, how Moss had found and captured me. How Piper had rescued me from a fate worse than death. How things had been when Piper had left. I shuddered but it wasn't from the cold air.

I wasn't going to make my team suffer. That wasn't fair after everything that we had been through. I remembered Radarr running from Finn because he had stolen his guitar, Stork reading dark poetry and eating sandcakes, Junko eating a sandwich full of things that made me want to throw up and Piper smiling. The way the sunlight danced of her skin on that morning where we had talked for most of the night.

I wished we had more time together.

"It's a beautiful night isn't it?" said Piper. I hadn't heard her come in. "Aerrow how are you feeling?" I looked up at the night sky.

"Better, I think Master Cyclonis was exaggerating a bit," I said, though the pain was getting so bad I wanted to go curl up and try not to scream.

"I'm worried," she said "I can't lose you again and neither can the Storm Hawks. We almost fell apart the last time."

"But you didn't. Piper you held things together until I came back. You are going to make a great leader." In the moonlight, I could see tears streaking down her cheeks but she maintained her composure.

"You aren't dead yet," she said "We'll figure something out." I wished that were true but unfortunately I knew there was only person who could help us and it was far past too late. Four hours had come and gone since we came back and we both knew it.

"How are Finn and Dove?" I asked trying to lighten the mood.

"They went to bed ages ago but they're still up talking. I think she's saying that she can't stay here. Her dad and her squadron will need her back soon and she's learned so much about leadership she thinks it's a shame." I smiled at her.

"How do you know so much about it?" I asked and then it was her time to smile. Suddenly things didn't seem so bad anymore.

"They're in the room next to me. They were nice enough to whisper but they forgot after a while and I could hear most of what was being said."

"That's eavesdropping."

"No, it's sad. She really doesn't want to leave because she wants to spend some time with Finn but her terra needs her."

"How's Finn taking it?"

"Okay. He says that he'll write her a song that she can listen to when she comes back."

I laughed. "Dove must have really loved that."

"You know, the weird thing is I don't think she minds. Things change when you find someone you love." She had stopped smiling and I like to think that I was going to say something to make her feel better but then the proximity alarm went off.

"What is it?" asked Finn and Dove in unison when they rushed in. I grabbed the periscope. In the distance black shapes got bigger and bigger as they raced towards us. I could make out their faces from here.

"Looks like Snipe, Ravess and the Dark Ace," I said but then a fourth lump made itself visible. "There's another but I don't recognise them." Piper had a look through the periscope and after a few seconds she pushed it back into its place.

"I know him. It's Carver," she said. I must have looked angry because she added "Perfect opportunity to send him back to the Atmosian Stockade where he belongs." I nodded.

"Okay everyone to your skimmers." Junko and Stork must have walked in when I wasn't looking because they nodded too. Radarr jumped onto my shoulder and blinked blearily. Piper caught me as we were leaving. It was in the corridor and we were alone.

"Should you be fighting in your condition?"

"I'm fine."

"Do I need Radarr to take the Blocker crystal again? Aerrow you are not fine. The Sermus crystal is killing you and I was thinking-"

"Uh-oh. Never a good sign."

"Maybe I should go back to Cyclonia. I was happy there." I looked at her and she looked away. "Maybe I can still make a deal with Master Cyclonis. She releases you and you get to live on and rescue me." She began to walk away but I grabbed her arm. I turned to Radarr.

"Buddy could we have a moment here please?" Radarr rolled his eyes but he climbed down from my shoulders and headed off towards the hanger. I turned to Piper and saw that she was avoiding my gaze. I looked down at her and then I decided.

"Piper if you go back to that place you will die and be replaced by Lark. And I hated her. Everyone hated her. We both know that if I go back that I will die in the strait jacket that was once my own body. If neither of us go, I'm just going to die normally. Please promise me that you won't give yourself up. Without you Finn or Junko might do something stupid and reckless."

"What if I do something stupid and reckless?"

"Piper, no offense but you aren't the type to do something stupid and reckless." I bent over and kissed her. Suddenly I didn't want to let her go. I wanted this moment to last forever the two of us together. And then the ship rocked from a blast and we broke apart. Maybe for the last time.

"Stay safe," I said and she nodded.

"You too," I ran down the corridor towards my skimmer. Piper followed to her heliscooter and Radarr rolled his eyes at me but he was smiling. We flew out into the sky and for a moment I just enjoyed the feeling of flying. Then I saw the Dark Ace standing waiting and Radarr and I flew up to him.

"Let's see if that Sermus crystal has ruined your fighting technique," he sneered at me feinting left and bringing his sword down on my right. I stopped it with one of my blades but it sent a wave of fire through my arm.

"I'm still strong enough to beat you," I said as I took a swipe at his head. He ducked and I leapt onto his skimmer.

Piper's POV

I could hear the banter from the Dark Ace and Aerrow from here and I sighed. Some things will never change.

A smoking skimmer fell to the Wastelands and for one heart stopping moment I thought it was one of us but then the Cyclonian shoot went up and I realised that Dove and Finn had managed to take down Snipe. Now they were teaming up with Junko to take down Ravess.

"Hello Piper. Or should I say Lark?"I turned my heliscooter just in time to see Carver take a shot at me. I jerked my heliscooter out of the way just before the blast could take of my heliscooter. I looked at him and couldn't help feeling a little sorry about what I had done.

"I can't believe that you dumped me for Chicken Legs over there." Okay now I don't feel so bad.

"I'm sorry since when we were going out?"

"Since the kiss."

"There was a kiss?"

"Dove! I can't believe you're listening."

"We all are Piper. We're all pretty close together."

"Stop talking, Carver and start fighting."

"No back seat fighting tips Ravess I am getting to it."

While everyone was talking, I took a sideways glance at the Dark Ace and Aerrow. Aerrow was magnificent, same as always. But then I saw how far away they were and I realised something was wrong. Then a shot whistled past my ear and my mind was brought back to my fight.

"Well, maybe you'll change your mind. After all Aerrow is dying," he sneered and I prayed that Finn, Dove and Junko hadn't heard that.

"What does he mean Aerrow is dying?" asked Junko. Carver looked at me.

"You never told them. Ah well, you will have your opportunity soon enough. But there's something I need to do first." And then he turned his skimmer and shot towards Aerrow and the Dark Ace. I followed but my little heliscooter wasn't built to keep up with skimmers.

He was almost upon them when he took aim. He shot at Aerrow but the blast missed and only ripped his pocket.

Suddenly Aerrow's face contorted with pain and I realised that something had fallen out of the now torn pocket. My only Blocker crystal. I pushed my heliscooter to fly towards the Blocker but Carver grabbed me and almost pulled me off my heliscooter.

I looked at Aerrow and saw him gritting his teeth forcing himself to focus on the Dark Ace. The Dark Ace brought down his energy blade to take of Aerrow's arm but he was too fast and managed to dodge out the way. His teeth were gritted as the pain intensified. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ravess's skimmer fall to the Wastelands and Finn aim his crossbow at the Dark Ace's skimmer.

Unfortunately the Dark Ace saw him too and suddenly there was a red flash and Finn was only sitting on half a skimmer. Dove caught him and pulled Finn onto hers before he deployed his parachute.

"Master Cyclonis waited for your answer and you gave her one. That was very rude so she had decided to make it for you. Come back to Cyclonia," said the Dark Ace and then I felt something hot pressing into my back.

"Never!" cried Aerrow.

"I'm not finished," said the Dark Ace "Come back to Cyclonia or we take the girl and you die anyway." Then I realised what the hot thing was. Carver had been right behind me and I had got distracted.

"Carver I hate you," I said.

"If you come back to Cyclonia then I guarantee that will change," the traitor replied.

Aerrow's POV

I am so sick of being manipulated, of this pain and of Cyclonis and her insane crush on me. I felt the anger bubbling up in. I brought up my blade at the exact same time that Radarr threw his wrench at the Dark Ace. My bolt hit Carver square in the chest and Radarr's wrench knocked the Dark Ace of his skimmer. My other blade sent his skimmer spiralling into the Wastelands. I gave Radarr a high five.

"That's what I call team work," I said but then I started coughing and I couldn't stop. Carver swooped down and grabbed the Dark Ace pulling him onto his skimmer.

Piper yelled after them "Tell Master Cyclonis to get over the crush she has on my boyfriend." I tried to smile at her but the coughing got worse. Suddenly the world multiplied. I was seeing two Finns, two Doves, two Junkos, two Radarrs and two Pipers and all of them looked worried.

Radarr took over the controls and took us back to the Condor. I leaned over the controls and tried to breathe. Finn, Dove and Junko followed close behind. Piper stayed behind. We landed and I turned back to them.

"Where's Piper?" I asked gasping for air.

"Looking for the Blocker," said Dove. "We need to get you to your room. How are you feeling?"

"Great. We need to wait for Piper." Junko and Finn looked at each other. "No don't do that. Last time you looked like that you grabbed me and dragged me off." Dove grabbed me from behind, hauling me to my feet.

"Do we have to drag you or would you rather walk?" I tried to shrug her off but Finn grabbed my legs and helped her pull me away from the hanger. I wasn't in any condition to fight them off. Radarr walked along side me. I smiled at him and coughed again. I tasted something salty. I was coughing up blood.

The guys and Dove laid me down on my bed and I waited for Piper to come back. The pain was mounting and I knew it wasn't going to go down. Piper walked in about quarter of an hour later. She shook her head.

"I couldn't find it," she said and her voice cracked. Her eyes were shiny.

"At least you tried Piper," I said but she shook her head violently.

"That's not going to make you better," she choked and I wished more than ever that this would stop so Piper wouldn't cry. "We need Cyclonis. She's the only one who can make you better."

"Unless you want to send Aerrow back there with a ribbon tied around him and a letter saying you're sorry I don't think she'll help," said Dove, very quietly. She cuddled up close to Finn and he put his hand on her shoulder. Junko was crying in the corner and Radarr was sitting watching. No one looked very happy.

"There must be something," I said then another torrent of blood came bubbling up my windpipe. I swallowed it but it didn't stop the coughing fit. The sheets were splattered with red. Stork walked in. He didn't say anything.

Piper's POV

We had used up all our options. We had fought our way out of Cyclonia and we were safe. But Aerrow was dying. It's not fair. Why him? Why not someone else? He had gone through so much most of it for me and for the good of the Atmos.

"Piper, please don't cry," said Aerrow. I hadn't noticed but I could feel the tracks of tears as they slid down my cheeks in torrents. Junko got up to give me a hug and I let him although my spine only just managed to survive.

"It's going to be okay," said Aerrow trying to smile but just ended up coughing more blood.

"No you're dying and I'm giving you one last chance to leave with your life," said a mysterious voice. I knew before the red crystal's energy threw me against the wall that it was Cyclonis. Finn, Dove, Radarr, Junko, Stork and I were all pinned to the wall and we couldn't move.

"Just obey me and things will be okay again," she said and I saw those demented eyes daydream about my boyfriend. I struggled harder. "We can rule together, you the warrior and I the mage. We would be unstoppable." I looked at Aerrow and we both burst out laughing.

"What?" snapped Cyclonis and you could practically see the anger burning around her. I stopped laughing to explain again. Aerrow started coughing.

"You think that after all this he is just going to give up and let you walk all over him. No way. You lost. Deal with it."

"Preferably back on Cyclonia," added Finn.

"You still need the cure," said Cyclonis but then something weird happened. Aerrow started coughing up black ooze, thick and saturated with whatever goo there was inside his lungs.

"I...would....rather...die," Aerrow said with emphasis on the last word but pausing to spit out more and more black gunk.

"And is that what your team says?" she hissed and when she looked at us with desperation. Then I remembered what Stork had said and it seemed like ages ago now. She had lied again but by now we shouldn't be surprised.

"It's Aerrow's decision," I said coolly and the other nodded in agreement. Aerrow looked at me and I smiled. I tried to mouth _you aren't going to die._

He mouthed back _I don't lip read Piper. _But then it happened. He began to convulse and I thought I was wrong. But then Master Cyclonis said,

"You are dying in a lot of pain in front of your friends and your," she motioned towards me, "thing."

"Girlfriend," I corrected raising my eyebrow. Cyclonis didn't notice.

"Fine if you will not take my generous offer than allow me to grant you one final kindness. You can die quickly." She pulled out a pure grade firebolt crystal and I felt sick. I had helped to create it and now he was going to pay for my mistake. Aerrow kept on arching and there were sickening cracks. Now I was sure I was wrong. Would it be immoral of me to want Aerrow to stay because I loved him? He looked at me but didn't say anything.

"Goodbye Aerrow," said Master Cyclonis and she let loose the red bolt. It hit Aerrow square in the chest and he fell to the floor with a sickening thud. The smell of burnt flesh filled the room and Cyclonis laughed. "What a waste. Ah well, I guess you win Piper. He's all yours." With the same crystal she had used to kill Aerrow she blasted a hole in the wall and flew out into dawn. When she left we all fell to the floor. Dove fell on top of Finn and I fell on Junko who had fallen on Radarr. Ouch! We all ran to Aerrow who was lying still on the floor. The only sign he was alive was the trickle of black sludge leaking from his mouth. Then I saw something that Cyclonis hadn't and I wondered if Aerrow might live after all.

_Any guesses what it is? One chapter to go._


	19. Not Dead

_I'm sorry this might make me a wimp but I can't kill of characters...unless they really deserve it. Last chapter today. To my reviewers:_

_Delphigirl689: Good to see you again. Hope you enjoy this chapter._

_MissJuly005: Thanks and everyone hates cliffies which is why everyone writes them._

_Jenergy: Right._

_PaigeyLou: I know how that feels (being annoyed at cliffes and siblings)_

_Booklover4177: Here it is._

_Diehardstormhawksfan:: Yes go read our story...NOW! Hope you enjoy the chapter._

_Gato: Fire Scorpian Heart? Okay *backs away slowly*_

_Ali: Thanks Ali. You are so nice it is unbelievable. _

_Doilan: Hey the one we call Doilan. And now to follow that up a really short chapter. Aerrow's problem with smoking has nothing to do with this though he should get help._

_Rita: Not quite. _

_Whisper: I'm hiding from Firedancer's squadron. Shh! _

_Madpostman: Thanks._

_LoveEvilYami: Well done. You were the first person to get that. _

Aerrow's POV

I'm not dead. I wasn't feeling pain anymore and I definitely not having an out of body experience so what was it? The pain was gone but everything ached like I had been running from lavaworms all day. I listened in to what was going on around me.

"He needs to rest." Piper! She's okay, at least that's something. I heard a disgruntled growl and sighed in relief. Radarr was okay too.

"That crystal may have given him a hundred one things. Just don't bring him near me until I find my disinfectant." Good! Stork was alive too. I was glad to hear him even though he's going to spray me with disinfectant. There was the sound of the door opening and closing.

"Finn, can you go hide Stork's cans of disinfectant?" Thanks Piper.

"Can Junko help?" Typical. He's probably going to have to do all the work.

"If he doesn't mind."

"Sure Piper."

"Thanks buddy."

"Dove can you go along to make sure Finn does something?"

"Yes and I think Radarr wants to come too." There was the sound of Radarr being picked up and I felt a pressure on my leg suddenly being released. From the sound of his whining Radarr didn't want to go anywhere but then the door opened and closed again and I couldn't hear him.

"Aerrow. Are you awake?" I opened one eye. I expected to see a gaping, smoking hole letting in light but instead I realised I was in Piper's room.

"Yeah I'm awake. Why am I in your room?"

"My room doesn't have a gaping hole in it."

"Anymore."

"Touché. How are you feeling?" I tried to sit up and she pushed me back down again.

"I feel fine."

"You aren't. You are a terrible liar. Please can you lie down for a bit? I promise Stork won't find his disinfectant though to keep him happy you may have to take a few pills."

"I think I can swallow a few pills."

"Um...I didn't say swallow. Dove is leaving in a few hours. She apologised to Adrian over the radio and they're okay with her coming back on the squadron."

"What no violins and sobbing in the background?"

She giggled. "No. Wren is especially glad to hear she's coming back."

"How'd he take finding out that she was dating Finn?"

"He said anyone was better than that annoying sharpshooter."

"Did they tell him that was Finn?"

"No they told him that was the Chicken Hawks he was thinking of."

"How do you think before he finds out?"

"A few weeks depending on how much he sees of Finn." I paused not sure what to say next. "So you want to know something ironic?"

"What?"

"When Cyclonis tried to kill you, she saved your life." I raised my eyebrow at her. "It's true look." She pulled something out of a draw in her desk. It was a bunch of fine red wires covered in what looked like tar. "That's all that is left of the Sermus crystal. She must have knocked it out of you when she hit you with the firebolt crystal." I looked at the Sermus crystal for a few minutes and then I remembered something.

"Piper, can I ask something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"When you were in Cyclonia what were you working on?" She looked away and I instantly regretted asking. "Um doesn't matter? Are the Rex Guardians mad at Dove?"

"Not if they're smart," she said, quietly. Neither of us said anything for a while. I can't believe I screwed up the conversation already. I had been conscious for five minutes.

"Look Piper I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you or-"

"A pure firebolt crystal." I looked at her, fairly sure that eventually she was going to catch on that I didn't know what she was on about. She sighed and lay down next to me. I pulled her in closer and she put her head on my shoulder. "While I was hypnotised we worked on it together, Cyclonis and I. We managed to successfully purify it further without blowing up the left side of the building."

"You are a genius, you know that." She turned her head to me and gave me a hard look. "Hey I'm sick you can't be mad at me." She smiled and then sighed.

"I betrayed everything I believed in."

"Technically you believed in Cyclonis."

"That doesn't make it right."

"So what would?"

"The fact that the remaining purified firebolt crystals are with me and I destroyed the notes I made while we were doing the experiments." I smiled at her.

"And you still won't give yourself a break?"

"Nope." I wondered if there was anything I could say to make her feel better. Nothing came to mind but then this is Piper. She's strong; she'll get over this on her own. And I'll be right here if she can't.

"Promise you won't leave again."

"Promise you won't return Master Cyclonis's calls."

"Promise you won't kiss Carver again."

"That was the most disturbing moment in my life. I'm kissing a guy which by the wyay is like kissing a running tap and my boyfriend, his blue co pilot and Finn watching from the air vents."

"In my defence my goggles got stuck on the top of the air vent." She and I were laughing now holding onto our sides. It was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard.

"So," I said once I stopped laughing, "What now?"

"You need to take it easy for a week. We told everyone that you need to rest so no-one is going to call us except if Master Cyclonis destroys a Terra. We're just going to float around for a bit. Finn will be practising his new love song for Dove."

"In the hanger?"

"You ask as if it's a question. Stork and Junko are going to work on the ship, Radarr is going to watch you and make sure you don't move and I am going to see if I can find a deep enough hole for those firebolt crystals."

"Maybe you should keep them in case the Dark Ace attacks again."

"Aerrow they could blow a hole in the Condor in the wrong hands."

"Master Cyclonis is not getting her hands on them again."

"Actually I was talking about Finn." I paused wishing I knew how to say this without all the crippling fear. It had been two weeks now.

"Hey Piper, once I'm no longer on house arrest do you want to go out some time?" She smiled.

"As long as no-one gets kidnapped."

_**The End**_

_Okay I know lame ending. No explosions, no romantic scenes and no sex. I think I need to stop. I may write a new story soon but for now I need to focus on the crossover I am doing with Diehardstormhawksfan. _

_Oh and for the record I don't own the Storm Hawks (or in any of my chapters) because if I did Aerrow and Piper wouldn't still just be friends._


End file.
